Call for 2025 Family Forest Education Award NOMINATIONS
2024 Family Forest Education Program Award Winners: University of Idaho Forest Stewardship Program and Purdue University Forest Management for the Private Woodland Owner Course
Excellence in Family Forests Education Programs are jointly recognized each year by the National Association of University Forest Resources Programs (NAUFRP) and the National Woodland Owners Association (NWOA). Awards for excellence are presented for both an Individual Project and a Comprehensive Program that exhibits excellence in education programming benefitting family forest owners across the U.S. Projects and Programs nominated address critical family forest ownership issues using a wide range of educational approaches and programs.
The Comprehensive Program Award: Idaho Forest Stewardship Program developed and hosted by University of Idaho Extension Forestry The 2024 series of comprehensive educational seminars, workshops and field experiences span the entire state of Idaho. Timely and diverse topics were created in collaboration with University of Idaho Extension, local county Extensionists, and augmented through partnerships with the USDA Forest Service, Washington State University, and Idaho Tree Farm Program.
The Individual Program Award: “Forest Management for the Private Woodland Owner Course” developed and hosted by Purdue University Forestry and Natural Resources Extension The Forest Management for the Private Woodland Owner course provides forest landowners eight learning sessions designed to introduce them to the biology and management of forests, and the resources and professional assistance they can access to help them form their property management goals and pursue their objectives. Field experiences are integrated into the course to provide in-person, hands-on connections with the biology and management of Indiana forests. Connections made during the course and field tours introduce landowners to the foresters and other natural resource professionals who can help them with the management of their forestland.
2023 Family Forest Education Award Winners: University of Georgia’s Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources Outreach Program and the Connecticut Master Woodland Manager Program named 2023 Family Forest Education Program Award Winners
Excellence in Family Forests Education Programs are jointly recognized each year by the National Association of University Forest Resources Programs (NAUFRP) and the National Woodland Owners Association (NWOA). Awards for excellence are presented for both an Individual Project and a Comprehensive Program that exhibits excellence in education programming benefitting family forest owners across the U.S. Projects and Programs nominated address critical family forest ownership issues using a wide range of educational approaches and programs.
The Individual Project Award went to the Connecticut Master Woodland Manager Program. The highly interactive program requires family forest owners to complete 7 required integrated online and field education “modules” and 6 elective events. These provide the education and training necessary for the participants to complete a self-assessment and planning process for their individual woodlands that are submitted for completion of the program. This robust education experience is a collaboration among University of Connecticut Cooperative Extension, Connecticut Forest and Park Association, Forestry Division–Connecticut DEEP, Audubon Connecticut, Yale University, and the Connecticut Land Conservation Coalition, with funding providing by the US Forest Service.
The Comprehensive Program Award was presented to the Outreach Program at the University of Georgia’s Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources. The 15 faculty and 4 professional staff members working from 4 locations throughout Georgia continue to provide effective educational programs and resources to address critical issues faced by the states family forest owners ranging from invasive species control to navigating timber tax issues. Over the last 5 years, their work is truly comprehensive, involving applied research, family forest owner needs assessments, development of over 660 publications, conducting 51 programs for over 2,700 participants, and providing a host of on-line resources. Last year alone the images in Bugwood Images and EDDMaps were viewed over 2 million times and their National Timber Tax website garnered over 281,000 unique views. Their list of stakeholders, partners and supporters are lengthy and they annually engage with over 45 agencies and organizations to educate and provide valuable resources for family forest owners in Georgia and beyond.
On behalf of NAUFRP and NWOA our sincere congratulations and thanks to these notable Extension programs, delivery staff, leaders, and nominees.
Dr. Nick Fuhrman addressing family forest issues through his national television series, “Ranger Nick.”
Participants get hands-on training in tree felling techniques as a part of the programs chain saw safety class.
2022 Family Forest Education Program Awardees: Virginia’s Generation NEXT Team and University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources
Excellence in Family Forests Education Programs are recognized each year by the National Association of University Forest Resources Programs (NAUFRP) and the National Woodland Owners Association (NWOA). Awards are presented each year for both an Individual Project and a Comprehensive Program that exhibits excellence in education programming benefitting family forest owners across the U.S. Projects and Programs nominated address critical family forest ownership issues using a wide range of educational approaches and programs.
The Individual Project Award went to Virginia Cooperative Extension’s Generation NEXT Team whose project addressed critical aspects of intergeneration transfer of forest lands. The project generated “Legacy Planning: A Guide for Virginia Landowners” a 56 page book to guide landowners in intergeneration transfer along with a website, the Generation NEXT YouTube Channel, and over 35 events for hundreds of resource professionals and attorneys.
The Comprehensive Program Award was presented to University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources for their Forest Stewardship Education Initiative. The Initiative develop in 2019 was focused on educating private forest landowners to “better understand, manage and protect their forests by developing a forest management plan, engaging with natural resource professionals, and taking advantage of cost-share opportunities that can help them meet their management goals.”
University of Maryland and University of Kentucky Named 2021 Family Forests Education Awardees
The 2021 Family Forests Education Awards winners were announced during the National Association of University Forest Resources Programs (NAUFRP) General Assembly on November 3, 2021. The award is co-sponsored by the National Woodland Owners Association (NWOA).
The University of Maryland Extension (UME) program received the 2021 FFEA Comprehensive Program for programming most benefiting family forest owners over the last five years. The UME Woodland Stewardship Education (WSE) program connects woodland property owners to their land through education and outreach. Using varied Extension delivery, WSE enables woodland owners to make sound and informed decisions about managing their land by bringing forestry, wildlife ecology professionals to simplify and demystify natural resource management.
The nomination includes multiple examples or UME’s innovative, needs-based, collaborative, impactful multidisciplinary outreach efforts. “It’s a real David becomes Goliath tale led by sage Jonathan Kays over a career” claimed one reviewer. Said reviewer suggests the 125 page plus documentation, that accompanied the nomination, would be a great primer to gauge what’s possible with grants, and collaborations- for anyone in the outreach business.
UME Natural Resource and Forestry work is led by Dr. William G. Hubbard Assistant Director & Program Leader Environmental, Natural Resources & Sea Grant in College Park.
This year’s Individual Project Award focused on exemplary educational programming responses to the 2020 pandemic. The University of Kentucky Extension program was selected for its From the Woods weekly webinar and podcast delivery system that is available live and recorded in concert with a local radio station and online. From the Woods Today is a weekly internet show co-hosted by Renee’ Williams and Billy Thomas with UK Forestry and Natural Resources Extension. From the Wood’s role in outreach has expanded throughout the pandemic and is a popular broadcast in multi-platforms.
The UK extension program is led by Dr. Jeff Stringer Chairman, Department of Forestry and Natural Resources and Extension Professor of Hardwood Silviculture and Forest Operations in Lexington.
2019 Family Forests Education Award to the University of Georgia
The University of Georgia’s Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources was awarded the 2019 Family Forest Education Award by the National Association of University Forest Resources Programs (NAUFRP) and the National Woodland Owners Association (NWOA).
UGA Dean Dale Green, NWOA Director Tammy Cushing and Jeff Stringer NAUFRP Extension Chair
The award is presented to educational institutions deemed to have delivered the most effective education program to benefit family forest owners over the past five years. It was given at the NAUFRP annual meeting in Louisville, Kentucky on October 30th. Warnell’s outreach program distinguished itself in several ways, including an assessment of landowner needs that helped shape programming topics, applied research that informed the information shared with landowners, collaboration with a variety of organizations and agencies and the variety of educational materials, events and other resources produced by a 13-member outreach group. This is the fourth time Warnell has received the Family Forests Education Award, which is jointly awarded by the National Association of University Forest Resources Programs and the National Woodland Owners Association. It began in 1997; Warnell received the award in 1998, 2001 and 2013. Previous recipients of the Family Forests Education Award Recipients thru 2019.