News - June 2023


Hiding in plain sight: Georgia's native hawthorn trees

Let’s play a tree game. How many of Georgia’s native trees can you identify? There are more than 260 native trees from the mountains to the sea in Georgia. The second-most numerous genera group among Georgia’s native trees is Crataegus—hawthorns. How many hawthorns can you find and identify? They are all over the place! They surround us in dense forests and open woodlands—on bottomlands, ridgetops and rocky slopes. Most people only know…

Camp counselors receive training at a Forestry Force event
Forestry Force: A camp for individuals with special needs

Strengthening the diversity of applicants is on the minds of nearly every hiring agency. It is equally important in forestry and natural resources. Building that diversity can be enhanced by considering the role individuals with special needs can serve on the job. Warnell’s Dr. Nick (“Ranger Nick”) Fuhrman, professor of environmental education, and his colleague Dr. Carolyn Copenheaver, professor of forestry at Virginia Tech, recently were…


Do I need to pay the net investment income tax on my timber income?

The short answer is: It depends. The slightly longer answer is that it is determined by the classification of your timber holding, the way to sell the timber and your modified adjusted gross income for the net investment income tax purposes.     What is the net investment income tax? The net investment income tax, also known as the Medicare surtax, is an additional tax applicable to high-income individuals, estates and trusts with…


Research project assesses wild pig damage, removal methods

Wild pigs are an invasive species in the United States, with population estimates exceeding 6 million across 31 states. Wild pig damage to agriculture, private property and natural resources exceeds $150 million annually in Georgia. In 2018, the USDA Farm Bill created a program to protect agriculture, property, and natural ecosystems from the threat of wild pigs.  One project, the Albany Area pilot project, is overseen by the Flint River…


Continuing education program welcomes new director

The Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources is pleased to announce the appointment of James Johnson as the new director of the continuing education program. Johnson is a Warnell alumnus who earned his Ph.D. in wildlife management from the school in 2019. He brings with him a wealth of experience in the field of forestry and wildlife management. Warnell's continuing education program is designed to provide natural resource management…

A nighttime image of a photographer lighting an agave plant
Alumna’s work with bats blossoms into documentary series

For most of her life, Kristen Lear has been interested in bats. The passion began in elementary and middle school when, as a Girl Scout, she learned about bats during summer camp night hikes and her Silver Award project. She later tailored her college studies to focus on bats, eventually earning a unique interdisciplinary doctoral degree through the University of Georgia Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources. Now, all that knowledge…


Developing agency among agent-based models 

A recent journal edition sparks conversation on the role of women in science   Working toward her doctorate at the University of Georgia Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, Angela Burrow (Ph.D. ’21) spent a lot of time with gopher frogs. It meant hours in Georgia’s southeastern pine savannas, in the hours before dawn, tracking and monitoring juvenile frogs as they wrestled with changes in their habitat. She wondered: Could…

Students cast their votes for what they think are the most important personal, social, and communication skills to include in their forestry education.
Warnell faculty assist in $5M grant for forest conservation in Liberia

Nestled in the heart of West Africa’s rainforests, the Republic of Liberia holds a rich history in the region. It also is home to millions of acres of forests, some of the last remaining West African rainforests on the continent.   As the country recovers and rebuilds after more than a decade of civil war, a team of researchers, including faculty from the University of Georgia Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, are working…

Gideon digs up some potatoes in a field
‘Forestry Force’ connects outdoor careers to youth with special needs

Eight-year-old Gideon put his foot on the pitchfork and pushed it into the soil. With a little assistance, he pulled back on the handle and up popped a cluster of red potatoes.   “Look, potatoes!” squealed Gideon and a few other fellow campers. As they put their hands in the soil and gathered some, they marveled at how the leafy bush above the ground yielded these familiar vegetables.    The moment was one of many discoveries that…


From genes to ecosystems: Study links tree genetics to continental-scale biodiversity patterns

Detailed research effort will help inform reforestation efforts It’s easy to think of trees as part of the landscape. But what if the trees were the landscape? That’s what a new study by a researcher at the University of Georgia asks us to imagine. By considering each tree as a world that hosts its own populations of insects and fungi—and looking at the genetic variation that supports these communities—we can better understand the role trees…

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