Nominations Sought for the 2024 Family Forest Education Awards
Nominations are invited for two national Family Forest Education Awards. Award information and submission requirements can be found here. Nomination packages are due by August 16, 2023.
The National Woodland Owners Association (NWOA), in cooperation with the National Association of University Forest Resources Programs (NAUFRP), will present the annual FAMILY FORESTS EDUCATION AWARDS at the NAUFRP General Assembly in conjunction with the 2024 Society of American Foresters (SAF) national convention in Loveland, CO, September 17-20, 2024.
The Comprehensive Program and Individual Project awards will be presented to educational institutions deemed to have delivered programming most benefiting family forest owners over the last five years. Any educational institution is eligible. The awards will be presented to the administrative unit originating and hosting the programming.
2023 Award Winners – Report from the Extension Committee
University of Georgia’s Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources Outreach Program and the Connecticut Master Woodland Manager Program named 2023 Family Forest Education Program Award Winners
Excellence in Family Forests Education Programs are jointly recognized each year by the National Association of University Forest Resources Programs (NAUFRP) and the National Woodland Owners Association (NWOA). Awards for excellence are presented for both an Individual Project and a Comprehensive Program that exhibits excellence in education programming benefitting family forest owners across the U.S. Projects and Programs nominated address critical family forest ownership issues using a wide range of educational approaches and programs.
The Individual Project Award went to the Connecticut Master Woodland Manager Program. The highly interactive program requires family forest owners to complete 7 required integrated online and field education “modules” and 6 elective events. These provide the education and training necessary for the participants to complete a self-assessment and planning process for their individual woodlands that are submitted for completion of the program. This robust education experience is a collaboration among University of Connecticut Cooperative Extension, Connecticut Forest and Park Association, Forestry Division–Connecticut DEEP, Audubon Connecticut, Yale University, and the Connecticut Land Conservation Coalition, with funding providing by the US Forest Service.
The Comprehensive Program Award was presented to the Outreach Program at the University of Georgia’s Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources. The 15 faculty and 4 professional staff members working from 4 locations throughout Georgia continue to provide effective educational programs and resources to address critical issues faced by the states family forest owners ranging from invasive species control to navigating timber tax issues. Over the last 5 years, their work is truly comprehensive, involving applied research, family forest owner needs assessments, development of over 660 publications, conducting 51 programs for over 2,700 participants, and providing a host of on-line resources. Last year alone the images in Bugwood Images and EDDMaps were viewed over 2 million times and their National Timber Tax website garnered over 281,000 unique views. Their list of stakeholders, partners and supporters are lengthy and they annually engage with over 45 agencies and organizations to educate and provide valuable resources for family forest owners in Georgia and beyond.
On behalf of NAUFRP and NWOA our sincere congratulations and thanks to these notable Extension programs, delivery staff, leaders, and nominees.
Dr. Nick Fuhrman addressing family forest issues through his national television series, “Ranger Nick.”
Participants get hands-on training in tree felling techniques as a part of the programs chain saw safety class.
Individual Project Award
Comprehensive Program Award
Jeffrey W. Stringer, Ph.D.
James G. Brown Endowed Chair
Department of Forestry and Natural Resources
105 T.P. Cooper Bldg
University of Kentucky
Lexington, KY 40546-0073
859-257-7596
See Extension Committee Chair Report, September 2022, here.
University of Maryland and University of Kentucky Named 2021 Family Forests Education Awardees
The 2021 Family Forests Education Awards winners were announced during the National Association of University Forest Resources Programs (NAUFRP) General Assembly on November 3, 2021. The award is co-sponsored by the National Woodland Owners Association (NWOA).
The University of Maryland Extension (UME) program received the 2021 FFEA Comprehensive Program for programming most benefiting family forest owners over the last five years. The UME Woodland Stewardship Education (WSE) program connects woodland property owners to their land through education and outreach. Using varied Extension delivery, WSE enables woodland owners to make sound and informed decisions about managing their land by bringing forestry, wildlife ecology professionals to simplify and demystify natural resource management.
The nomination includes multiple examples or UME’s innovative, needs-based, collaborative, impactful multidisciplinary outreach efforts. “It’s a real David becomes Goliath tale led by sage Jonathan Kays over a career” claimed one reviewer. Said reviewer suggests the 125 page plus documentation, that accompanied the nomination, would be a great primer to gauge what’s possible with grants, and collaborations- for anyone in the outreach business.
UME Natural Resource and Forestry work is led by Dr. William G. Hubbard Assistant Director & Program Leader Environmental, Natural Resources & Sea Grant in College Park.
This year’s Individual Project Award focused on exemplary educational programming responses to the 2020 pandemic. The University of Kentucky Extension program was selected for its From the Woods weekly webinar and podcast delivery system that is available live and recorded in concert with a local radio station and online. From the Woods Today is a weekly internet show co-hosted by Renee’ Williams and Billy Thomas with UK Forestry and Natural Resources Extension. From the Wood’s role in outreach has expanded throughout the pandemic and is a popular broadcast in multi-platforms.
The UK extension program is led by Dr. Jeff Stringer Chairman, Department of Forestry and Natural Resources and Extension Professor of Hardwood Silviculture and Forest Operations in Lexington.
Our sincere congratulations and thanks to these notable Extension programs, delivery staff, leaders, nominees and our fine partner NAUFRP.
Mark Megalos
Executive Director
National Woodland Owners Association
execdirector@nationalwoodlands.org
UME website: https://extension.umd.edu/programs/environment-natural-resources
UKY website: http://forestry.ca.uky.edu/home/woods-today
The National Woodland Owners Association mission is to use unbiased, research-based, objective and factual information to inform, educate and advocate for woodland owners, forest managers, natural resource agencies, media professionals, cooperating organizations, the general public, and policy makers to ensure a sustainable managed forest resource in the United States. Achieving together what we could not do alone. Our staff and Board of Directors are passionate woodland owners, foresters and advocates dedicated to the health, maintenance, and sustainability of all natural resources, especially those of America’s family woodlands. We strive to be responsive and model woodland stewards.
See Extension Committee Chair Report October 2021 Report here
Extension Committee Update Slide 2020 Many of our member institutions are land grant universities with formal extension missions. Through our Extension Committee we seek to promote this important work through actions such as advocating for Renewable Resources Extension Act funding. In cooperation with the National Woodland Owners Association the Extension Committee also conducts an annual competition to recognize the outstanding family forestry education program. The 2019 Family Forests Education Award was presented to the University of Georgia Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resouces for its comprehensive extension education program. A list of previous recipients can be viewed Family Forests Education Award Recipients thru 2019 In recent years the role of the Extension Committee has expanded to include outreach to NAUFRP’s many partners. This has led to the development of formal Memoranda of Agreement and/or the development of partner research priority lists that can be shared with our members with the American Forest Foundation and the NASF NAUFRP MOA.
NAUFRP Extension Committee Chair - Jeff Stringer, University of Kentucky
