Forestry Webinar Series Wins Two Chiefs Award
May 14, 2012
Asheville, NC — On May 2, USDA Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell and Natural Resources Conservation Service Chief Dave White announced the 2011 Two Chiefs’ Partnership Awards, which included a group award for the forestry webinars developed by the Forest Service Southern Research Station (SRS) and Southern Region (SR), the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Southern Regional Extension Forestry, North Carolina State University, Texas AgriLife Extension, and North Carolina A&T State University.
SRS technical information specialist Claire Payne worked with other individual members to develop the award-winning forestry webinar series.
The Two Chiefs’ awards highlight and acknowledge existing partnerships and projects where employees from the Forest Service, NRCS, State Forestry Agencies and Conservation District work collaboratively to support conservation and forest stewardship.
The partners in the forestry webinars project collaborated with scientists and managers to produce five webinars in 2011 designed to reach policy makers, federal, state, and private natural resource and conservation specialists, investment specialists, master gardeners, industry and conservation leaders, and landowners. Two webinars focused on the Southern Forest Futures Project, and three webinars addressed the identification, control, and management of invasive plants in southern forests.
In developing the webinar partnership, members stressed the importance of building relationships, finding common ground, and developing contacts in an effort to reach wider audiences, including people who work with small-scale landowners, minority landowners, and limited-resource farmers.
2011 webinars included:
- Dave Wear, SRS, and John Greis, SR -- Southern Forest Futures Project;
- Jim Miller and Erwin Chambliss, SRS, and Nancy Loewenstein, Auburn University -- Most Prevalent Invasive Plants in Southern Forests —Woody Plants; and Most Prevalent Invasive Plants in Southern Forests — Non-Woody Plants;
- Jim Miller, SRS, and Stephen Enloe, Auburn University -- Management Guide of Invasive Plants of Southern Forests
Over 900 people participated in the 2011 webinars. Survey data indicate that an average of 90 percent of participants were likely to adopt knowledge gained from the webinars in the next 12 months, potentially affecting management of more than 49 million acres. Live and archived webinars enable participants to save travel dollars and fuel costs. Eligible participants can also earn continuing education credits for attending live and archived webinars through the Society of American Foresters and, for specific webinars, the International Society for Arboriculture
Individuals involved in the project include:
- Claire Payne, Southern Research Station;
- George Hernandez, Southern Region;
- Bill Hubbard and Darryl Outlaw, Southern Regional Extension Forestry;
- Bob Bardon, North Carolina State University;
- Eric Taylor and Matt Bonham, Texas AgriLife Extension;
- Gail Brant, Natural Resources Conservation Service; and
- Josh Idassi, North Carolina A&T State University
The partners produced the webinars through the Forestry and Natural Resources Webinar Portal. The SRS Science Delivery Group supported the webinar project.
To view upcoming webinars: www.forestrywebinars.net
To view archived 2011 webinars: www.forestrywebinars.net/previous-webinars