Go Green | Next Steps

Posted on December 12, 2013 by rwgonzal

Lauryn, an Environmental Technology and Management student, attended GREENBUILD 2013 to learn more about sustainability.

Lauryn Coombs, junior in Environmental Technology and Management, grew in her involvement and enthusiasm for sustainability after attending GREENBUILD NATION 2013 in Philadelphia, PA. Through a scholarship from the United States Green Building Council, she was able to thrive in this environment as she was surrounded by a variety of attendees ranging in backgrounds from academia to the business world. These individuals gathered for one common purpose…to learn and share knowledge about sustainability.

The conference offered everyone opportunities to trade business cards, learn about USGBC’s efforts and progress worldwide and connect with a variety of professionals at all stages. Hilary Clinton’s keynote on the importance and positive impact of Green Building on our communities and a Bon Jovi concert were just a few highlights from the event.

This opportunity confirmed Lauryn’s unique interest in combining her degree in Environmental Technology and Management with her minor in Landscape Architecture to pursue a career in sustainable design. Her advisor, Linda Taylor, has offered her the ability to carefully plan her coursework to align with her interests and career goals.

The attendees that received a scholarship to attend GREENBUILD 2013.

In addition, Lauryn is the USGBC Co-President and is helping to lead the NC State Student Chapter of USGBC, so feel free to contact her if interested in becoming more involved. The group plans to have a meeting the first Friday of each month beginning in January, and you can also follow their events on Facebook (NCSU USGBC Student Group).

Tree Change – A Challenge for Planners and Policy makers

Posted on December 12, 2013 by

A view of Raleigh’s tree cover and skyline, taken from Jordan Hall on the NC State campus.

Is Raleigh, NC becoming more like Baltimore? According to a study published in the journal Ecosystems by researchers Kevin Bigsby, Melissa McHale and George Hess in NC State’s College of Natural Resources, planners and policy makers need to take steps to prevent the City of Oaks from looking like the home of “The Wire.”

Read “Tree Change: Is Raleigh Becoming More Like Baltimore” in The Abstract.

Clearing the Waters | Phytoremediation

Posted on December 12, 2013 by rwgonzal

Claire Basista, an Environmental Technology and Management student, with her research team

Environmental Technology and Management students, Claire Basista, Kevin Heavner, Deion Oakes and Stacy Freeman, have been working with Dr. Elizabeth Nichols and Dr. Dennis Hazel to use phytoremediation at the Tidewater Research Station in Plymouth, NC.

With the heavy influence of the aquaculture industry on water, it has become increasingly important for waters to be drained periodically to eliminate effluents (produced during the life of the fish). The NC Division of Water Quality will no longer allow current practices that force the ecosystem to respond to the addition of the substances and/or lead to suffering habitats; however, there are not new treatment options in place at this time. Without new treatment solutions, this team of students and faculty are working together to test the trees to remediate and dilute these effluents into the air.

Deion Oakes, an Environmental Technology and Management student, in the process of using a tree to help eliminate effluents from the water at the Tidewater Research Station in Plymouth, NC

The team used planted species including: hybrid poplar, cottonwood, cherry-bark oak, bald cypress, loblolly pine, green ash and sweet gum to see which type(s) of trees handle and remediate polluted waters most effectively. Working with Dr. Nichols and Dr. Hazel, the group has been working to compare tree species productivity to the same species grown on other irrigation sites (i.e. municipal wastewater application sites).

Through this experience, the students have accepted the challenge to apply the technical knowledge of their curriculum to the practical experience of field work in an effort to become more well-rounded, informed and capable to jump into their career field upon graduation.

5 Questions with CNR Dean Mary Watzin

Posted on December 12, 2013 by

Our college’s vision is to be the go-to place for solutions to natural resource challenges. We don’t think it is enough to make a name for ourselves by describing problems. We want to develop solutions to those problems. This is an institution where solutions are part of our DNA!

Recently Dean Mary Watzin sat down with the The Bulletin to reflect on her first year as dean and talk about where the college goes from here.

Read “5 Questions with Dean Watzin”

Tropical Forest Foundation Elects Dr. Erin Sills to Its Board of Directors

Posted on November 21, 2013 by rwgonzal

Dr. Erin Sills

Washington, D.C. (November 12, 2013) – Dr. Erin Sills, professor and director of international programs, Department of Forestry & Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University, has been elected to the Tropical Forest Foundation (TFF) Board of Directors for a term that begins January 1, 2014. Sills joins a group of new directors that demonstrate TFF’s founding tradition to provide a forum for industry, conservation, and academia to join forces to encourage the adoption of sustainable forestry practices in the tropical regions of the world.

“Erin understands and is committed to TFF’s mission of conserving the tropical forests by maintaining their economic value. As we improve the skills and knowledge of local forest communities, she will provide valuable counsel and relationships that can advance our work,” said Bob Johnston, TFF executive director. “Each new member of the Board of Directors was carefully selected for his or her innovative thinking and ability to contribute to TFF’s ongoing efforts of encouraging sustainable forest management. We look forward to utilizing their experiences and ideas to further enhance the practices and programs currently in place.”

Currently a professor of forest economics at North Carolina State University, Sills is well known in the environmental economics community. She began her teaching career at NCSU in 1998 when she earned her Ph.D. in natural resources and environmental economics at Duke University. Sills’ work has been recognized and published in several industry journals and books, and she was awarded the Outstanding Global Engagement Award for her international efforts at NCSU.

Additional new Board of Directors include:

Kerry Cesareo, Managing Director, Forests, World Wildlife Fund
Sara Gutterman, Co-Founder and CEO, Green Builder Media
Kenneth MacDicken, Senior Forestry Officer/Team Leader, Global Forest Resources Assessment, Food & Agricultural Organization of the United Nations
Hank Menke, Jr., President and CEO, OFS Brands, Inc.
Lenny Shibley, President, Inter-Continental Hardwoods, LLC
Kevin Thieneman, President, Caterpillar Forest Products

About the Tropical Forest Foundation

The Tropical Forest Foundation (TFF) is an international, non-profit, educational institution committed to advancing environmental stewardship, economic prosperity, and social responsibility through sustainable forest management (SFM). TFF regional programs in Asia Pacific, Africa and South America have become synonymous with the promotion and training of Reduced Impact Logging (RIL). For 20 years, TFF has fostered dialogue and alliances among industry, government, and academia, as well as the research and conservation communities to improve tropical forest management around the world and increase the economic value of these forests for those who depend upon its bounty for their livelihood. To learn more about the Tropical Forest Foundation, visit http://www.tropicalforestfoundation.org/.

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