Eco-friendly Super Foam Makes Contaminated Water Fit To Drink

Posted on July 25, 2011 by

Absorbance properties of "super foam" being tested in an NC State forest biomaterials labSuper Foam being tested

Reuters

It began as an experiment to create an absorbent material for the next generation of diapers, but potential uses may be much more far-reaching.

Using by-products of the lumber industry and pulverized crustacean shells, Dr. Joel Pawlak and his research team in the Department of Forest Biomaterials at NC State University came up with an eco-friendly super absorbent foam that has the potential to revolutionize efforts to purify drinking water in developing countries and disaster-stricken areas.

Watch the video – Source: Reuters / July 22, 2011

Strnad Receives Governor’s Conservation Achievement Award

Posted on June 30, 2011 by

Each year the North Carolina Wildlife Federation(NCWF) presents the prestigious Governor’s Conservation Achievement Awards. The awards honor individuals, governmental bodies, organizations, and others who have exhibited an unwavering commitment to conservation in North Carolina. These are the highest natural resource honors given in the state.

Renee Strnad - coordinator NC Project Learning Tree and Forestry Extension Specialist at NC State University

Renee Strnad - 2011 Environmental Educator of the Year - NC

We are very excited that Renee Strnad, Extension Forestry Specialist and Coordinator of NC Project Learning Tree ® (NCPLT) in the College of Natural Resources at NC State University was selected as Environmental Educator of the Year.

One of the goals of the NCWF Conservation Awards is to inspire all North Carolinians to take a more active role in protecting the natural resources of our state through the celebration of these individuals and organizations.

Strnad’s enthusiasm for her work with NC State Extension Forestry, NCPLT, the Fur, Fish & Game Rendezvous 4-H Camp and with organizations like the North American Association of Environmental Educators and Environmental Educators of North Carolina have given her ample opportunities to educate and inspire people of all ages to understand and embrace the natural world around them. We are excited and proud that she is being recognized.
Congratulations, Renee!

We are also proud to have long, rewarding relationships with several other honorees including but not limited to –

Lewis Ledford – CONSERVATIONIST of the Year
The longtime director of the North Carolina State Parks system, Ledford is a friend of the college and the 2009-2010 Lifetime Acheivement Award winner from our Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Management

Wilburn (Wib) Owen – FOREST CONSERVATIONIST of the Year
An alumnus of our forestry ( ’78) and recreation (’84) programs, Owen has served at the Wildlife Resources Commission and as State Forester for North Carolina where he had responsibility to protect our forests for the people of our state, Owen and his staff were (and still are) are frequent partners and collaborators with researchers and extension specialists at NC State.

Hal Atkinson – SPORTSMAN of the Year
A 1966 alumnus, Atkinson served for 20 years as chief of the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission’s Division of Wildlife Management where he had daily impact on conservation in the state and where he championed collaboration with NC State’s wildife researchers and extension specialists.

See all the winners

We congratuate each awardee and thank them for their dedication to convervation in North Carolina and for their past and future support of the NC State College of Natural Resources.

A gala banquet is scheduled for August 27, 2011 at the Hilton Raleigh Durham where award recipients will be recognized and presented with a statuette and certificate.

Learn More about –
Extension Forestry
Project Learning Tree
NC Wildlife Federation

Energy Interns and Fellows Are Seeing “Green”

Posted on June 23, 2011 by

Solar Suitability Study conducted by Will Dunlop and John Diaz at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Energy efficiency and maximizing the use of renewable energy resources is on everyone’s minds these days and NC State University is actively engaged in developing and disseminating solutions to our energy challenges.

Energy Interns pass out flyers related to energy conservation and their upcoming workshops

Lauren Lesak and Drew Hatley, interns with the CES in Warren and Franklin Counties, pass out energy conservation and upcoming workshops flyers at a community event.

The College of Natural Resources (CNR) at NC State has placed 42 students in green energy internships and fellowships using a $435,481 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant. Students are working in 16 counties in North Carolina for a total of 21 host organizations.

Three fellows began working in Fall 2010. One of the fellows, Helene Cser, is developing a renewable energy database with analysis tools and another, Jessica Knight, is creating the web interface for the database to help facilitate economic growth within the renewable energy industry sector of North Carolina.

Wood pellets are tested for durability in Javon Carter’s feasibility study.

The third fellow, Javon Carter, has been investigating woody biomass material from Eastern North Carolina to determine its suitability for commercialization as wood pellets.

An Energy Intern works on a wind powered car model

Cory Connell, intern with the CES in Craven County, works on a wind powered car he will make with children at a summer 4-H camp.

Fifteen interns worked part-time during the Spring 2011 semester in the Raleigh area. Among them, Will Dunlop and John Diaz worked at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Division of Waste Management using GIS technology to analyze former landfills for solar farm suitability. Four students worked on a campus tree inventory project designed to calculate the energy savings associated with the trees on campus. Both of these projects have continued into the summer.

This summer, 32 interns are working to promote energy efficiency and assist with small-scale renewable energy installation projects with host organizations such as the NC Cooperative Extension Service (CES), SAS, the NC Solar Center, NC Department of Transportation, HandCrafted Homes and others.

Energy Intern works on a solar powered oven

Austin Harriett, CES intern in Craven County, works on a solar powered oven he will make with children at a summer 4-H camp.

Ten students are working with the Cooperative Extension Service in eight different counties—Craven, Davidson, Franklin, Greene, Hertford, Onslow, Warren and Wilson. Interns in these counties are assisting CES’ efforts to educate the community about ways to increase energy efficiency within homes and businesses and integrate renewable energy there as well. Throughout the summer, interns will prepare presentations for a variety of groups including children, seniors, farmers, and low-income families on specific ways that each group can be more energy efficient.

Companies such as SAS, HandCrafted Homes, Timberline, Jordan Lumber and Owens-Illinois are using the energy interns to find ways to make their plants and facilities more energy efficient.

energy interns measure a tree on NC State's campus as part of a tree inventory

Charles Rudder and Ian McInnis measure a tree for an inventory to determine energy savings gained from campus trees.

The interns were invited to the State’s Sustainable Energy Conference in April that included a session specifically for energy interns. In early June, they were offered a two day Energy Auditor Training on the campus of UNC Chapel Hill at no cost.

CNR student interns are part of a larger state program that includes 28 awarded organizations hosting the energy internship and fellowship program. The program ends in March 2012, by which time some 480 interns and fellows will have worked for the program across the state.

Post submitted by:
Karla Heinen
Dr. Gary Blank
For more information: 919.515.7566

Investing in the Next Generation of Scientists

Posted on June 23, 2011 by

Forest Biomaterials professors Marty Hubbe and Lucian Lucia at NC State University already have busy schedules teaching, conducting research and serving their university. To these duties, they have taken on editing an open access journal BioResources which has seen tremendous growth since they established the journal in July of 2006.

Their work has the professors thinking daily about the future of the field, the challenges ahead and the talented scientists needed to tackle those challenges. In response to this need, they decided to invest some of the journal’s assets in the future by making annual contributions to fund one year scholarships for deserving students majoring in forest biomaterials at NC State.

Paper Science Students Tour Celulosa Arauco

“Not only do we want to benefit the renewable materials community with the journal, but our hope is to leverage the growth of the journal to support students going into the paper & science engineering major.” says Dr Lucia. “We count ourselves as very fortunate to be able to give back and provide scholarships to the meritorious undergrads that come into our Department.”

While they are starting small, the professors hope to grow the fund and increase the number of scholarships available in the future. Contributions to support the Journal and the BioResources Scholarship Fund are welcome. Make a gift to the BioResources Fund

ABOUT BIORESOURCES
BioResources is devoted to the science and technology of using materials, chemicals, or energy derived from predominantly lignocellulosic sources, such as wood, agricultural residues, paper, and related by products for new uses and new capabilities.

With a goal of promoting scientific discourse in an area of research that is critical to the future of us all, BioResources open-access, web-based format means that articles can be downloaded without cost by researchers around the world, helping to speed progress toward the solution of some pressing environmental issues. The journal is also available in print format.

NC Biomass Research Under Wraps

Posted on June 23, 2011 by

Photo by Doug Duncan - NC Association of Professional Loggers

Green woody biomass immediately after harvest has 45-50% moisture content. In other words, half of the haul load is water. Any process involving burning for electricity, wood pellets or advanced biofuels sees water as a negative. Dry material measured and paid for on a bone dry basis or BTU basis could be in the future. If Biomass energy is to be a sustainable option for the Southeastern US, this is one issue which must be addressed.

Researchers in the Forestry & Environmental Resources program at NC State are partnering with the North Carolina Association of Professional Loggers (NCAPL) on a study measuring moisture loss and comparing a variety of treatments.

Read the Complete Article at ForestIndustry.com