4-H Teams Gearing up for the North Carolina Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Program State Competition

Posted on April 9, 2010 by kmfaber2

WHEP logo
Interest has been strong for the upcoming North Carolina Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Program (WHEP), April 24, 2010. Eighty junior and senior level youth from eight counties will compete in the 2010 State Competition at the Jordan Lake Educational State Forest in Chapel Hill, NC.

WHEP is a national 4-H program that teaches about the fundamentals of wildlife management, develops team and leadership skills, and provides an opportunity for 4-H members to work with natural resource professionals.

NC WHEP is run out of NC State University Extension Forestry and has been growing every year since 2000. "Our state teams are consistently placing within the top 10 in the nation," states Renee Strnad, Extension Forestry Environmental Educator and NC WHEP Organizer. The 2009 NC Team placed 6th Overall and 4th in the Written Wildlife Management Plan at the National Contest in Louisiana. An article written by previous national competitor and Henderson County 4-H club member, Caleb Worrell, appears in BlueRidgeNow.com and explains how his experiences with WHEP and other 4-H naturalist activities have shaped his interest in natural resources.

NC WHEP is sponsored by the State Council of Quail Unlimited. Their sponsorship provides awards at the state level for teams and individuals, as well as covering the registration cost and some travel to the national contest. "It can be very expensive to send teams of six people across the country to compete at the national level," explains Strnad, "so in addition to studying and preparing for the national contest, the county representing North Carolina at the national level must do a lot of fundraising to help cover their travel costs."

The first place senior team from the State Competition this year will have the opportunity to represent North Carolina at the National WHEP Invitational in July in Los Alamos, New Mexico.

For more information, contact Renee Strnad at 919-515-5518 or renee_strnad@ncsu.edu

Pollen Count Soars To Record Levels

Posted on April 9, 2010 by kmfaber2

Excerpted from the Technicianonline.com – April 8, 2010
By Arth Pandya, Staff Writer

Wednesday's Raleigh Pollen Level, 3,524 Grains Per Cubic Meter Set An Area Record

Like a dusting of snow, tree pollen has covered much of North Carolina this week after a quick transition from winter into a warm spring.

Pollen levels in North Carolina reached record highs this week, with the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ Air Quality Division recording the highest concentrations since air quality agencies started measuring pollen in the late 1990s. According to John King, associate professor of tree physiology (at NC State University), pollen usually reaches its peak during late March and early April. King added that the cause of record pollen levels has been the sudden change in weather. However, King said he believes the pollen levels have hit their highest point for this season. "The pine pollen has peaked. It should start declining from here on out," he said.

Read the complete article in the Technicianonline.com

More About John King

East Coast Agritourism Webinar Series Available From NC State University

Posted on March 3, 2010 by kmfaber2

NC Tourism Extension logo NEWS RELEASE

Changes in the economy combined with fluctuations in agricultural income and the desire to preserve land and resources has placed increased pressure on farmers across the nation to examine alternative economic opportunities. Many farmers are turning to agritourism as an entrepreneurial response to increase on-farm sales of their value-added products and services and generate revenues directly associated with recreational and tourism activities.

To assist agricultural enterprises and communities expand into agritourism, NC State University Tourism Extension, in partnership with Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station and NC Cooperative Extension Service, is offering a 5-part East Coast Agritourism Webinar Series. "Introduction to Agritourism," the first webinar in the series was offered March 2, 2910. Approximately 70 farmers, extension agents, and tourism researchers and practitioners from across the Eastern United States logged on to participate in this exciting, interactive webinar.

"Introduction to Agritourism" included a presentation and discussion of agritourism including defining agritourism, examples of agritourism, impacts of agritourism in the U.S., helpful agritourism resources and more. The presenter was Dr. Samantha Rozier Rich, an Assistant Professor and Tourism Extension Specialist at North Carolina State University.

Four more webinars on additional agritourism-related topics will be offered throughout March and April 2010.
For more information and to register for the East Coast Agritourism Webinar series visit http://www.ncsu.edu/tourismextension/Webinar Series.html.

Op-Ed: Tar Heel Timber for Haitian Housing

Posted on February 8, 2010 by kmfaber2

News & Observer – Point of View
by Robert D. Brown
February 6, 2010

"Haiti is in dire need of housing. Due to a lack of forest materials, the Haitians constructed houses with bricks and concrete blocks, materials that are difficult to make earthquake resistant and require lots of energy to produce. Earthquake damage in Haiti was exacerbated by poor quality construction and the lack of construction codes.

Meanwhile, our state is blessed with abundant forest resources. Almost 60 percent of North Carolina is forested, and the forest products industry is the largest manufacturing industry in the state. Using our forest industry can help Haiti recover and assist tens of thousands of private landowners who own and manage timber."

How can North Carolina make a difference in Haiti, while simultaneously helping the state's economy and environment?
Read the full text of NC State College of Natural Resources Dean Robert Brown's editorial in the Saturday, February 6, 2010 issue of the News & Observer.

Forestry Extension Environmental Educator Recognized for Outstanding Service by Environmental Educators of North Carolina

Posted on November 30, 2009 by kmfaber2

News Release – November 30, 2009
Media Contact – Elizabeth Burke, 703.281.6626

The Environmental Educators of North Carolina (EENC) recently honored Renee Strnad, Environmental Educator for Extension Forestry, with one of the organization’s two awards for Outstanding Service. Strnad was recognized for her efforts to support EENC’s annual conference, assisting with conference logistics and providing professional development opportunities. The Environmental Educators of North Carolina is the state’s professional organization representing environmental educators including classroom teachers, state and national park rangers, museum educators, county extension agents and other educators working in non-formal settings.

In addition to being the state coordinator for Project Learning Tree (multi-disciplinary environmental education program for educators and students in PreK-12), Strnad supports 4-H natural resource programs statewide. She is also a liaison between the College of Natural Resources at NC State University and environmental educators, sharing relevant information between the two groups. She is currently working with Wiley Elementary School in Raleigh, where students in grades 3-5 get their first glimpse of being a forester, through tree measurement classes facilitated by NC State forestry students.

Commenting on the value of environmental education, Strnad notes, “I feel like most youth today have lost their connection with the natural world, which can be detrimental as they become older and have to decide how to manage our natural resources. EE gives them that link to the natural world, and helps them perform authentic field studies that address state learning objectives across the curriculum. I think it is really amazing how students react to, and are inspired by, classes that take place in a natural setting or include the natural environment around them.”

Strnad is a graduate of Kansas State University with a dual Bachelor of Science degree in Wildlife Biology and Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences. She’s been with NC State University since 2000, and has been involved in environmental education since 1997.

“I am honored to receive this award. I truly enjoy being an advocate of EE in North Carolina and so glad that EENC members played a vital role this past fall to encourage the legislature to continue funding for the State Office of Environmental Education. Because of our members, EENC continues to be recognized as an exemplary professional organization for environmental educators throughout North Carolina”, she noted.

The second Outstanding Service Award was presented to Shelby Gull Laird, a Ph.D. candidate in the Forestry and Environmental Resources Department at NCSU.

For more information about EENC membership, please visit our website at eenc.org.

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Below: Renee Strnad (right) accepts her Outstanding Service Award from North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction, Dr. June Atkinson
Renee receives award from June Atkinson