Welcoming Dean Watzin to NCSU

Posted on November 15, 2012 by

Dean Mary Watzin, new dean of the NCSU College of Natural Resources

What once was home to deer antlers and moose heads is now scattered with boxes and a “Happy Boss Day” card propped up on a desk-side table. Mary Watzin, the new dean of the College of Natural Resources, started to unpack and settle in on Oct. 15. Once a man-cave, Watzin’s new office is now filled with welcome wishes and women’s laughter.

After 22 years at the University of Vermont, three of which she served as the dean of the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, Watzin said she is excited to start a new chapter in her life.

“As the recruiter started to talk to me about what was happening at N.C. State,” Watzin said, “it looked like a university on the move … something I might want to be a part of.”

Looking forward to the things she hopes to accomplish, Watzin said she is ready to jump into the world of the College of Natural Resources.

“There are a lot of things I hope to accomplish,” Watzin said. “First, I’d like to start by getting to know my colleagues. This college has some really great faculty and staff all of which are poised to do really great things. We just need to spend a little time figuring out where we want to go and we’ll be off.”

Watzin said she is eager to meet the students and ready to get the word out on campus about the environment.

“One of the things that’s really rewarding is that we get to hear all the great ideas that come from students and how you look at the world,” Watzin said.

“Solving environmental problems and the wise sustainable use of our natural resources is absolutely critical to what your lives are going to be like as you go out into the world. It’s finding that balance whether you’re an engineer, English major, or a natural resource major. Everybody needs to understand how the world works and how people fit into the equation.”

Excerpted from the Technician Online.
Read the complete article by Kaitlin Montgomery

Defending Champs NC State Lead 20 PGM Teams into 11th PGA Jones Cup

Posted on November 8, 2012 by

2011 Jones Cup Winners – NC State University
Photo by Montana Pritchard/The PGA of America

The NC State College of Natural Resources is excited to see our Professional Golf Management students off to Port Lucie, Florida on November 13-14, 2012 to defend their Jones Cup Championship title. The team is composed of the academic program’s top golfers who will compete with the top golfers from all 20 PGA Golf Management programs nationwide.

Read the complete feature article on the PGA Website.
Learn more about the PGM program at NC State University.

Study Is More About The Bees Than The Trees

Posted on July 17, 2012 by

Syrphid fly feeding on False Dandelion
Photo from Watauga County CES

Christmas tree growers might not realize that the diverse mixes of groundcovers growing underneath their trees provide important habitat for pollinators. Pollinators which are responsible for an estimated 75% of the average food products that we eat each and every day!

Dr. Jill Sidebottom, with NC State University’s Christmas Tree Program, and county agents are working on a pollinator study specifically looking at tree farms in Watauga, Ashe, Allegheny, Avery and Mitchell counties.

The study will follow these farms for an entire year, taking data on the mix of specific plants growing under the trees, what’s flowering and when, and what types of pollinators and other insects are observed. This study is unique in that the majority of the fieldwork is not actually focused on the Christmas trees… but rather what’s growing underneath them!

The best practices specific to the Christmas tree industry on pollinator protection and conservation which result from the study will help tree growers and beekeepers collaborate to sustain pollinators.

Adapted from Christmas Tree Pollinator Study, Watuga County Cooperative Extension Blog 7/9/2012

Renee Strnad Honored as Tarheel of the Week

Posted on July 17, 2012 by

Renee Strand, Extension Forestry Associate at NC State University

Photo by Corey Lowenstein – clowenst@newsobserver.com

Renee Strand, NC Project Learning Tree Coordinator and an environmental educator with Extension Forestry at NC State University, has been honored as Tarheel of the Week by North Carolina’s largest daily newspaper, the News and Observer. Over her career, Strnad has evolved a part-time job as an environmental education coordinator into a position as a highly respected and well-known leader in environmental education policy and advocacy in North Carolina. Strnad has a passion for making sure children are exposed to nature and aware of its limited resources.

According to Lisa Tolley, program manager with the state office of environmental education and public affairs, “She is one of the strongest advocates for environmental education in the state. She’s reached a lot of people, and her passion for her work is contagious.”

Read the complete article in the News and Observer>>

Is Hemlock History Repeating Itself?

Posted on May 21, 2012 by

Scientists trying to save eastern hemlock trees from widespread insect attacks may have uncovered a case of déjà vu, dating back millennia.

“Our hypothesis is that 7,000 to 8,000 years ago, insects hammered the eastern hemlock in a similar way to how it’s being hammered now,” says Kevin Potter, NC State forestry professor and lead researcher on a paper published in Conservation Genetics. “We think we may see a genetic signature of an ancient and widespread insect epidemic.”

The modern threat to the hemlock is real and close to home. Learn more about what Dr. Potter and his team are doing about it. Read the full article in The Abstract.