Presented by the
National Woodland Owners Association
and the
National Association of University Forest Resources Programs

The National Woodland Owners Association (NWOA) in cooperation with the National Association of University Forest Resources Programs (NAUFRP) will present the annual FAMILY FORESTS EDUCATION AWARDS at the 2026 NAUFRP Annual Meeting associated with the 2026 Society of American Foresters (SAF) National Convention in Tacoma, WA, October 6-9, 2026. Deadline for submission of awards, including all supplemental documentation is June 15^th, 2026.

2025 Winners –

The University of Minnesota Extension Forestry Program was recognized for its innovative, science-based leadership in climate adaptation through its comprehensive Climate-Ready Woodlands (CRW) initiative. The program translates complex climate modeling into practical, region-specific guidance for landowners, including more than 30 native plant and tree lists tailored to 11 ecological regions to support forest resilience over the next 50–100 years. With a documented 95% adoption rate of recommendations among participants and measurable policy impact, including influence on state invasive species statute, the program demonstrates exceptional engagement, applied research integration, and lasting impact through its hybrid Woodland Steward training model.

Purdue University’s FNR Extension Family Forest Education Program was honored for its expansive reach, deep integration of long-term research, and commitment to workforce development. The Program incorporates findings from the 100-year Hardwood Ecosystem Experiment (HEE) into accessible educational programming, delivering unbiased, real-time data to landowners on key management issues such as oak and hickory regeneration and wildlife response to timber harvest. Impacting more than 57,000 acres and engaging tens of thousands of landowners, Purdue’s program also stands out for formally embedding Extension training into undergraduate and graduate curricula, strengthening both the hardwood industry and the next generation of forestry professionals.

AWARD DESCRIPTIONS

The Comprehensive Program and Individual Project awards are awarded to educational institutions deemed to have delivered programming most benefiting family forest owners over the last five years. Any educational institution is eligible. Awards will be presented to the administrative unit originating and hosting the programming. A family forest educational comprehensive program or individual project is a combination of educational materials, media, courses, workshops, events and/or electronic media including applied research that supports those efforts, for the benefit of family forest owners. The awards recognize effective programming addressing any or all aspects of forest resources management including forest management, silviculture, forest health, harvesting, forest and estate planning, business management and marketing.

CATEGORIES and SCORING

Nominations will be accepted for two categories:

• Individual Project that addresses a specific family forest issue or problem and can include specialized courses, workshops, webpages and resources, materials, etc.
• Comprehensive Program includes a broad educational effort to address a diverse array of family forest issues and program using a wide range of educational approaches and programs.

Nominations will be evaluated using the following criteria:

1. Faculty and staff involved (including number and multi-disciplinary involvement)
2. Educational needs assessment (including involvement of clients)
3. Educational materials, events, and other resources used
4. Applied research incorporated
5. Collaborations among disciplines, agencies, and organizations
6. Results, impacts, or outcomes
7. Evidence of program quality
8. Degree of innovation
9. Emulation of the program by others

APPLICATIONS _______________________________________________________  

Applications must:

• include a cover letter describing how the applicant has addressed each of the scoring criteria
• at the beginning of the cover letter designate whether the nomination is for the Comprehensive Program or Individual Project
• provide supporting documentation and materials.

A committee composed of NAUFRP Extension professionals will select the winner based on an evaluation of how each of the 9 criteria above has been met.

The deadline for receiving all materials is June 15, 2026.

Submissions can be electronic or hardcopy materials. If providing only hardcopy materials, please provide at least five sets.

SUBMISSIONS _______________________________________________________  

All nominations should be submitted via email to: naufrp@verizon.net . Attach materials to the email or provide arrangement for document sharing. If document sharing is required, the applicant must arrange a document sharing platform that can be accessed by NAUFRP staff and those appointed to score applications.

If submissions cannot be provided electronically provide five hardcopies, postmarked by the deadline to:

NAUFRP-NWOA 2022 Family Forest Education Award

c/o Terri Bates, NAUFRP Executive Liaison

P.O. Box 2004

Falls Church, VA 22042

For further information contact Terri Bates, (703) 538-1134

Presented by the

National Association of University Forest Resources Programs

The National Association of University Forest Resources Programs (NAUFRP) will present the first annual Dr. Yeon-Su Kim Champion Award at the 2026 NAUFRP Annual meeting in Tacoma, Washington, October 6, 2026, in association with the 2026 Society of American Foresters national convention.

The award embodies the spirit of Dr. Yeon-Su Kim and other champions of access and engagement who have made lasting, significant impacts in forestry and natural resources education.

Please see below for information on the award, application process, and requirements.

AWARD DESCRIPTION

This Award is to honor an individual, a program, or an organization that has demonstrated sustained dedication to promote engagement, a sense of belonging, and achievement in broader access at the NAUFRP member organizations and beyond.

AWARD CRITERIA

The Award is intended to recognize sustained impact and leadership towards promoting engagement, a sense of belonging, and achievement in broader access to forestry and natural resources.

Examples of efforts that merit nomination of this award:

• Developing effective partnerships to jointly implement related efforts.
• Organizing impactful and supportive training and events.
• Helping others to navigate in ever evolving and sometimes challenging spaces.
• Facing adverse situations with equanimity and displaying resilience in trying times.
• Integrating different perspectives and transforming conflict into collaboration and cooperation to work towards a common goal.
• Motivating others and leveraging differences to promote innovation.
• Working tirelessly to create a safe and unbiased working environment.
• Modeling state-of-the-art recruiting, mentoring, and support of access to enhance engagement and a sense of belonging.
• Translating a vision of access and engagement into achievable milestones and communicating them effectively.

AWARD ELIGIBILITY

Individuals or organizations that are affiliated with a NAUFRP institution. Self-nominations are

accepted.

NOMINATION REQUIREMENTS

Nominations must include:

• a cover letter describing how the nominee has addressed the award criteria
• an additional letter of support for the nomination
• supporting documentation demonstrating the impact of the efforts.

A committee composed of four members will evaluate the nominations and select a winner.

SUBMISSIONS

All nominations should be submitted via email to naufrp@verizon.net. Attach materials to the email or provide arrangements for document sharing. If document sharing is required, the applicant must arrange a document sharing platform that can be accessed by NAUFRP staff and those appointed to evaluate the nominations.

The deadline for receiving all allocation materials is June 15, 2026.

AWARD PRESENTATION

The award will be presented to the awardee (or a representative of a program or organization) at the NAUFRP General Assembly on October 6, 2026, in person or virtually.

The award includes an award plaque, $1,000 cash prize, plus travel support for the awardee to attend the NAUFRP General Assembly.

In Memoriam of Yeon-Su Kim

Yeon-Su Kim was the Executive Director of the School of Forestry at Northern Arizona University (NAU) and a valuable member of the NAUFRP Executive Committee when she passed away tragically in November 2022. Yeon-Su was a social scientist who studied how ecosystem services that forests provide could be valued in economic terms. Growing up in Seoul, South Korea, she learned to communicate values of forest conservation to people with different perspectives. Yeon-Su earned a Ph.D. in Forest Resources from Oregon State University and began her academic career at NAU in 1998, where she promoted access and engagement in forestry education. As Executive Director, she recognized the value of different backgrounds, identities, and experiences in the faculty and students whom she oversaw and what they could bring to forestry and natural resource education and future workforce.