Authored by: Aubrey Pawlikowski While many students spent part of their summer soaking up the sun poolside or lounging at home, 10 adventurous young minds from across Georgia, Tennessee and Virginia chose a different route: wading into streams, handling reptiles and sizing up tree trunks. What they found was more than just mud and moss. It was a hands-on introduction to the wonders of Warnell and the science, stories and stewardship behind the natural world. As part of the University of Georgia’s Center for Continuing Education Summer Academy, the inaugural Wonders of Warnell camp invited upper middle to high school students to step into the boots of a forester, biologist or environmental educator. Over five action-packed days, campers not only learned how natural resources shape the world around them — they experienced it firsthand: nets, drones, owl pellets and all. The camp kicked off with Extension 4-H specialist Kasey Bozeman leading a “Bird ID 101” session. With a bird call competition slated for the end of the week and prizes up for grabs, students wasted no time tuning into trills and warbles, learning to identify songbirds by sound. Meanwhile, dissecting owl pellets offered a messier — and more memorable — lesson in predator-prey dynamics and the secrets of nocturnal predators. From there, campers met their guide for the week: lead instructor and campfire storyteller-in-chief Nick “Ranger Nick” Fuhrman. With his trademark enthusiasm, Ranger Nick led the group on a whirlwind adventure across the Warnell landscape. Campers tried their hand at measuring towering pines using forestry tools, learned the secrets of tree identification on a walk with Holly Campbell, and took to the skies — sort of — as they flew drones to simulate forest inventory work under the direction of James Johnson. “It was great to see the students so excited to fly the drones. Hands-on experience with this kind of technology is crucial, especially in fields like forestry and wildlife sciences, where drones are now essential tools for conservation and land management,” shared Johnson. “It’s rewarding to help spark that curiosity early on.” Another day brought boots-on adventures in aquatic biology. Campers placed leaf-litter traps in streams and waded into the water to collect and identify macroinvertebrates, learning how the tiniest critters reveal the health of an entire waterway. A highlight for many included touring the Warnell Fish Lab and watching a fish sampling demonstration with an electroshocking boat at Lake Herrick, guided by Jay Shelton, Wesley Gerrin, Sarah McNair and Emma Browning. “It was fun for our aquatics team to be part of the Wonders of Warnell experience. I especially enjoyed seeing our young staff — all Warnell alumni — interacting with campers, knowing it wasn’t long ago they were teens exploring careers themselves,” said Shelton, associate professor of fisheries. “Letting campers try real-world activities like electrofishing to sample fish or handling fish in a lab gave them a real sense of what it might be like to have a career in natural resources management.” Wildlife science took center stage at Whitehall Forest with Michel Kohl teaching campers about deploying trail cameras and analyzing images for wildlife use and patterns. Later, campers practiced the art of environmental education, learning how to handle snakes and other ambassador animals safely as tools for teaching others about conservation. Each afternoon wound down around a campfire, where Ranger Nick led reflective conversations. Stories were swapped — from personal turning points to future ambitions sparked by the week’s discoveries. Ranger Nick also shared his own path, which began at age 8 after meeting Ranger Bill at a Maryland library. That childhood spark eventually grew into a career in environmental education, offering students a powerful example as they began to find their own path. The week wrapped with creative micro-teaching demonstrations where campers safely handled turtles, snakes, and salamanders to move an audience of their peers from environmental awareness to pro-environmental action. From touching testimonials to eye-catching visuals, their reflections offered a glimpse into just how transformational the week had been. “What makes the Wonders of Warnell Camp so special is the balance of exciting natural resources content with opportunities for campers to share what they’ve learned with others in an edu-taining way,” said Ranger Nick, associate dean for outreach at the Warnell School. The camp also gave students a glimpse into higher education and future careers. A visit with Warnell recruiter and outreach coordinator Carol Catoe and a career panel featuring current students, staff and alumni helped demystify what it’s like to pursue a degree in natural resources. A Q&A session prompted campers to consider what studying at Warnell — or working in conservation — might really look like. “Sharing my journey to Warnell with the campers was a powerful reminder of why I do what I do,” said Mikaela Dallas, student and career services coordinator. “I love helping students take their passion and turn it into a path to their future.” Whether it was flying a drone, walking through the woods, or learning that nature’s classroom is often the best one, Wonders of Warnell left students not just more informed — but more inspired. Because sometimes, all it takes is one campfire story, one hands-on moment or one curious question to spark a lifelong passion — and these 10 students are just getting started.
