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NASA, MSU's Yang study natural resources satellite data to address water insecurity

NASA, MSU's Yang study natural resources satellite data to address water insecurity

The federal agency in charge of the nation’s space program is receiving assistance from a Mississippi State assistant forestry professor in addressing water security by monitoring, understanding and managing natural resources through satellite data.

Yun Yang, also an MSU Forest and Wildlife Research Center scientist, is part of a national consortium of more than 30 members and partners contributing to the NASA Acres project. Th...

5/31/2023

Thinking Big for Birds

Thinking Big for Birds

OVER 62% OF MISSISSIPPI'S LAND BASE is forested giving the Magnolia State a $13.8 billion dollar forestry and forest products enterprise. While green covers the map, the residents that enjoy the forested landscape are why Forest and Wildlife Research Center scientists are part of the Tombigbee Forest Bird Partnership (TFBP), an effort aimed at celebrating and enhancing avian conservation in the Southeast's working forests. Emily Jo "EJ" Willia...


Forestry Forensics: Using AI to Identify Wood

Forestry Forensics: Using AI to Identify Wood

Many wood items we import from abroad are incorrectly declared on customs forms. Sometimes it's an honest mistake, but other times, items made from illegally cut timber—commonly from tropical regions like the Congo and the Amazon—are deliberately mislabeled and enter the U.S. and other countries in violation of law. Accurate wood identification plays a critical role in maintaining sustainable wood product value chains and adhering ...

5/22/2023

Growing toward success

Growing toward success

From Kerrville, Texas, Lucas Evanko, lived in many places before the College of Forest Resources at Mississippi State University became his home-away-from-home.

As a nontraditional undergraduate student, Evanko returned to school to earn his associate and bachelor's degrees, while considering pursuing a master's, after working close to ten years since enrolled as a student.

"I had no intention of attending a four-year program,...

5/15/2023

MSU scientists, partners awarded grant for amphibian collections care and management

MSU scientists, partners awarded grant for amphibian collections care and management

Polar bears. Giant pandas. Mountain gorillas. In the last several decades, these endangered animals have attracted attention-deservedly so-but what about the smaller, less conspicuous amphibians that are on the brink of extinction? Mississippi State researchers are focused on saving them, too.

Scientists in the MSU Forest and Wildlife Research Center and the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station are leading a conso...


Timberland investment group founder seeks to increase diversity in natural resources

Timberland investment group founder seeks to increase diversity in natural resources

Positions such as forestry financial analyst, geographical information specialist, environmental manager, wood products mill manager and forest economist may be unfamiliar to female, minority or first-generation college students when considering a college major.

Mississippi State University's College of Forest Resources aims to change that with help from Dick Molpus, former secretary of state and longtime advocate for an educated wor...

5/3/2023

MSU partners with state agency to examine turkey hunter experience

MSU partners with state agency to examine turkey hunter experience

For hunters in Mississippi, the call of a wild turkey heralds the official start of spring as much as the emerging daffodils and unmistakable coating of pollen.

With a three-decade trend of declining turkey populations in some regions of the state, an accurate assessment of turkey population is critical to proper management of the birds’ habitats, seasonal hunting regulations and hunt success. State agencies rely h...


Lecture's namesake presents 2023 Carlton Owen Lecture

Lecture's namesake presents 2023 Carlton Owen Lecture

Carlton Owen, former Alumnus of the Year and Alumni Fellow for Mississippi State's College of Forest Resources, presents the 2023 Carlton Owen Lecture next Thursday, April 20. This is the first time for the lecture's namesake to serve as presenter.

Owen will discuss "Life Lessons from the Environmental Edge," at 2 p.m. in Thompson Hall's Tully Auditorium. The event is part of MSU's Earth Week celebration.

Wes Burger, CFR dean...

4/12/2023

MSU faculty selected for national land-grant leadership program

MSU faculty selected for national land-grant leadership program

Three Mississippi State faculty are representing the university in LEAD21, a national program that develops leaders in the fields of agricultural, environmental and human sciences at land-grant institutions.

Beth Baker, associate extension professor in the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture; Jay McCurdy, associate professor in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences; and Florencia Meyer, associate professor in the De...


MSU leads cooperative effort to create CWD video series

MSU leads cooperative effort to create CWD video series

Mississippi State scientists have teamed with state and federal agencies and other universities to shed light on chronic wasting disease, a complicated infection that has spread through U.S. and Canadian deer populations for 60 years, through a series of animated videos.

CWD is a highly contagious and incurable illness affecting deer of all ages and states of health. First discovered in Colorado, it has spread to 30 states and four ...

2/20/2023

MSU celebrates Arbor Day with tree planting at Child Development Center

MSU celebrates Arbor Day with tree planting at Child Development Center

Preschool children got their hands dirty planting trees and learning about the environment and conservation at Mississippi State's Arbor Day celebration today [Feb. 10] at the MSU Child Development and Family Studies Center.

Led by MSU faculty, staff and students, the Arbor Day celebration emphasizes the importance of trees to improve soil, air and water quality; provide habitat for wildlife; and absorb carbon dioxide.

Miss...

2/10/2023

Collaboration by MSU associate dean, professor produce second-edition, seminal forest resource economics textbook

Collaboration by MSU associate dean, professor produce second-edition, seminal forest resource economics textbook

A Mississippi State administrator and a faculty member in the College of Forest Resources are celebrating the January release of a co-authored, newly revised second edition of a recognized and well-utilized forest economics textbook.

MSU authors Steven Bullard and Stephen C. Grado partnered with Mississippi Development Authority’s Marcus Measells and Clemson University’s Thomas Straka to update and modernize W. David Kle...

2/3/2023

MSU recognizes exemplary faculty, staff in natural resources

MSU recognizes exemplary faculty, staff in natural resources

Mississippi State faculty and staff in the College of Forest Resources and the Forest and Wildlife Research Center are being honored for excellence in teaching, research and outreach.

"Our greatest asset is our people—faculty and staff who work to train future conservationists, conduct research to enhance and conserve our natural resources and then transfer that knowledge to landowners," Wes Burger, CFR dean and FWRC director, sa...

1/11/2023

Steve Demarais of MSU Deer Lab wins NDA Lifetime Achievement Award

Steve Demarais of MSU Deer Lab wins NDA Lifetime Achievement Award

The National Deer Association is pleased to announce Dr. Steve Demarais from Mississippi State University's Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture as the 2022 Joe Hamilton Lifetime Achievement Award winner. This award is presented to a person who has dedicated their life and/or career to wildlife management in general, and deer management in particular. The recipient must also have made a significant impact in deer management, deer ...


MSU avian conservation efforts soar with Tombigbee Forest Bird Partnership

MSU avian conservation efforts soar with Tombigbee Forest Bird Partnership

While the U.S. and Canada have lost approximately a quarter of bird life—or 2.9 billion breeding adult birds—since 1970, Mississippi State researchers are finding ways to improve working forests for avian conservation.

Two-thirds of Mississippi, or approximately 19.2 million acres, is forestland. The state's working forests support a $13.8 billion forestry and forest products industry. A new partnership, the Tombigbee Forest ...


Tree canopies provide more than shade for homeowners

Tree canopies provide more than shade for homeowners

Mississippi State forest economists find that tree canopies provide "a little green" for big city and small-town residents alike.

Professors Donald Grebner and Stephen Grado in the MSU Department of Forestry have found the global trend of tree canopies increasing home prices in urban areas also holds true in smaller communities. The team—which includes Eric Bridges, a doctoral student and former city forester for Lakeland, Tennesse...

11/14/2022

MSU's Forest and Wildlife Research Center to lead management of vital coastal forestland

MSU's Forest and Wildlife Research Center to lead management of vital coastal forestland

A partnership with multiple conservation agencies is positioning Mississippi State University's Forest and Wildlife Research Center to manage and positively impact coastal forestland for teaching, research and conservation of this vital ecosystem.

The 14,000 acres of bottomland hardwood and upland forests—part of the Coastal Headwaters Protection Initiative—are in Harrison County along the Wolf River, which distributes in...

11/11/2022

MSU doctoral student tackles feral swine across the Southeast as USFWS Directorate Fellow

MSU doctoral student tackles feral swine across the Southeast as USFWS Directorate Fellow

A Mississippi State College of Forest Resources graduate student has taken advantage of a recent opportunity to study feral swine as a fellow for a leading conservation agency, and his work has focused on developing a prioritization tool for feral swine control across the Southeast's 108 national wildlife refuges.

Tyler Evans, a wildlife, fisheries and aquaculture doctoral student, was selected as a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Dir...


MSU graduate student honored with Phi Kappa Phi national Love of Learning Award

MSU graduate student honored with Phi Kappa Phi national Love of Learning Award

A Mississippi State doctoral student in the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture is being honored with an award from the nation's oldest and most selective collegiate honor society.

Rebecca Bracken, who soon will defend her dissertation, is one of 200 Phi Kappa Phi members nationally to receive its annual Love of Learning Award, a $500 post-baccalaureate professional development grant. Bracken was first inducted into P...


Our People: Nathan Cowley

Our People: Nathan Cowley

Freshmen entering their first year of college may sometimes feel like a deer caught in headlights. That wasn't the case for Nathan Cowley, who enrolled at Mississippi State with a laser-sharp focus.

Cowley, a rising sophomore wildlife, fisheries and aquaculture major, has always set his sights on ambitious personal and career goals. When deciding on a career path, he knew he wanted to foster his passion for hunting and fishing. When ...


Our People: Molly and Mattie Graham

Our People: Molly and Mattie Graham

Born and raised in Pensacola, Florida, in an ardent Auburn University family, twins Molly and Mattie Graham believed they were destined to be fourth-generation Tiger fans. However, one trip to Mississippi State University was all it took for them to trade their stripes for cowbells.

Growing up with no background or familial influences in forestry, wildlife or animal care, Molly and Mattie found themselves dreaming of becoming veterin...

9/30/2022

Duck and Cover: Nesting Box Research

Duck and Cover: Nesting Box Research

Taylor Gibson, currently pursuing a master's degree in the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture, was raised with curiosity and respect for wildlife and fishing. As a child, he dreamed of becoming a marine biologist, but as he grew older, he realized his true passion is waterfowl.

After graduating from Mississippi State with a wildlife, fisheries and aquaculture bachelor's degree, Gibson went to work. He worked with Ducks...


MSU, MFA create forest resources student development fund in honor of former dean

MSU, MFA create forest resources student development fund in honor of former dean

Mississippi State's College of Forest Resources is partnering with the Mississippi Forestry Association to create the George M. Hopper CFR/MFA Student Development Endowment Fund in honor of the retired dean.

The Mississippi Forestry Foundation is a nonprofit organization started by the MFA, which aims to promote and execute programs in the state to advance forestry and natural resources. The organization recently presented a check fo...

9/15/2022

Protecting the South's
Signature Wildlife

Protecting the South's Signature Wildlife

As the State Land Mammal of Mississippi, white-tailed deer is the South's most significant wildlife species. The important economic and cultural resource contributes to Mississippi's $1.14 billion-dollar hunting industry, with an estimated 280,000 deer harvested each year. FWRC researchers seek to determine how weather and disease impact deer populations so the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks, or MDWFP, can make inform...


Our People: Troy Lindsey

Our People: Troy Lindsey

For Coahoma County native Troy Lindsey, life on the water is both a pastime and a career. Growing up fishing and hunting in the Mississippi Delta—the birthplace of America's catfish industry—little did he know his hobby would parlay into a profession. Lindsey grew up in various towns that dot the Mississippi Delta, including Roam and Tutwiler, where he graduated from West Tallahatchie High School. He went on to Coahoma Community Co...


Break the Bottleneck: From forest floor to mill door, FWRC researchers keep wood moving

Break the Bottleneck: From forest floor to mill door, FWRC researchers keep wood moving

When the I-40 bridge closure severed a main transportation artery through Memphis in May 2021, the Arkansas Trucking Association estimated a daily loss of $2.4 million for the state's trucking industry. While Mississippi bridges aren't making national headlines, they do cause headaches for the logging industry. Approximately 226 of Mississippi's bridges are closed because of structural decline. Many more have reduced weight limits. FWRC resea...

9/8/2022

MSU recognized nationally for conservation work

MSU recognized nationally for conservation work

Mississippi State University is accepting a national award for its partnership in a large-scale sustainability project.

Kristine Evans, assistant professor in MSU's Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture, has been leading a team of MSU faculty and partnering agencies in a multiyear Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units project titled "Strategic Conservation Assessment of Gulf Coast Landscapes." The work is this year's winne...


Eyes in the Skies: FWRC scientists look to drones to identify potential flight disruptions

Eyes in the Skies: FWRC scientists look to drones to identify potential flight disruptions

It's been a dozen years since the "Hudson Bay Miracle" made history with an emergency landing of a passenger plane after it collided with a flock of Canada geese during takeoff. To prevent such hazardous incidents, airport biologists strive to mitigate aircraft-wildlife strikes. Knowing what is inhabiting the landscape and monitoring that wildlife in a common way among airports is essential for informing mitigation efforts.

Traditional...


Evans named MSU Geosystems Research Institute associate director

Evans named MSU Geosystems Research Institute associate director

A Mississippi State faculty member with more than a decade of research and service in wildlife, fisheries, aquaculture and land conservation is adding an administrative role to her responsibilities.

Kristine Evans, associate professor in the College of Forest Resources, is now serving as the associate director for MSU's Geosystems Research Institute.

"Kristine has built important relationships with favorable leadership cap...


Our People: Namia Stevenson

Our People: Namia Stevenson

Whether in Japan or Turkey or Germany, Namia Stevenson has always felt at home abroad.

Stevenson's parents were in the U.S. Air Force, and she spent much of her childhood outside the U.S. She considers Bitburg, Germany, her hometown because that's where she spent the most time growing up.

The wildlife, fisheries and aquaculture master's student studies frogs and toads in MSU's Conservation Physiology Lab. Her interest was p...


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