February 29, 2008 Release

Events for the upcoming Week: Feb. 29 – Mar. 9
(Seminars, Symposiums, Conferences, Events, Field Trips, etc.)

Xi Sigma Pi will hold the 2008 Lumberjack Ball Saturday, March 1 at Flinchums. Festivities begin at 3:30pm and will include food & beverages, an auction, door prizes, pie the professor booth, and the always entertaining fashion show. Tickets are available for $5 at Barbara Trotter’s desk, or $7 at the door.

The Sandy Creek Nature Center will celebrate the life and work of Aldo Leopold Wed., Feb 27 through Sunday, Mar. 2. Sandy Creek Nature Center will hold a presentation on prairie restoration and conduct a prairie burn if the weather permits.  Also, Dr. Walt Cook, former professor at Warnell, will be leading a guided hike on part of Cook's Trail and Oxbow Trail Saturday starting at 2pm. A full listing of scheduled events can be found at the Hands-on Northeast Georgia website.

NRRT Society members and Warnell School Ambassadors will coordinate and judge at the east regional of the Georgia Envirothon competition on Tuesday, March 4. If you are interested in participating in this event contact Allison Ginn or Emily Saunders.  

The next Ecology Seminar will feature Dave Coleman speaking about "The Frontier Underfoot: Paradoxes, Pitfalls and Prospects in Soil Ecology." Reception begins at 3:30pm and lecture starts at 4:00pm on Tuesday, March 4 in the Ecology Auditorium.

The South Campus Career and Internship Expo will take place Wednesday, March 5 from 11:00am to 4:00pm at the Georgia Center for Continuing Education. Employers in agricultural, environmental, and related industries will be on site looking to recruit Warnell and CAES students.For more information email Emily Saunders. 

The next Warnell Seminar promises an eye-opening look at untraditional, but proven methods for writing instruction. Dr. Michelle Ballif, Director, UGA Writing Intensive Program, will discuss “Understanding and Assisting the Development of Student Writers” Wednesday, March 5 at 4:00pm in room 1-304 (Refreshments at 3:30pm). Strong writing skills are required for academic success as well as post-university work, but teaching these skills is a perennially challenging goal for most academic programs.  UGA's Writing Intensive Program is based on the philosophy that significant attention to writing builds on these general instructional goals by enhancing overall student learning and critical thinking in their chosen disciplines.

The UGA student chapter of SAF will host the 24th annual SAF Roundtable at 6:00pm on Wednesday, March 5 at Flinchum's Phoenix. BBQ and beverages will be provided. The SAF Roundtable is an informal gathering of professionals who represent forestry and natural resource professions. This event is intended to provide students with the opportunity to meet professionals and familiarize themselves with careers that are available within natural resources. Dress is business casual and feel free to bring your resumes!  For more information email Amanda Newman.

Mark Your Calendar

Spring Break – March 10-14

The Next NRRT Society meeting will be Wednesday, March 19 from 5:30 to 6:45pm in room 1-304.

The next Forestry Club meeting will be Wednesday, March 19 from 6:45 to 8:00pm in room 1-304.

The next meeting of TWS will be Wednesday, March 26 from 6:45 to 8:00pm in room 1-304.

Achievements from the Previous Week: Feb. 22-29

“Spring Colloquium”

Dr. Reese Halter, President of Global Forest Science, was the featured speaker for the 2008 Spring Colloquium held Wednesday, February 27. Halter’s presentation was titled "An Eagle's Vision of Climate Change and Conservation Biology in the  21st Century" and can be viewed here. 

Additional information about Dr. Reese Halter can be found on the Global Forest Science website.

You will need them most recent version of the Quicktime video plugin   and a DSL or better connection to view the video. Quicktime is free and may be downloaded from the Quicktime wensite. 

“In the News”

Fighting fire with fire
(UGA forest ecology professor Ronald Hendrick is quoted)
Read More Here 

Land development poses threat to bird species, destroys habitat
(Red & Black article features the research of Jeff Hepinstall)
Read More Here

Snakes alive! Burmese pythons could be headed our way
(Retired UGA professor Jeff Jackson is quoted)
Read More Here

“Awards/Appointments”

Congratulations to Drs. Jacek Siry, Doug Peterson, Joe Nairn, Rhett Jackson, Sarah Covert, and Chris Cieszewski. The University System of Georgia Board of Regents approved the promotion and tenure applications for each of these excellent faculty members.

Mandi McElroy, wildlife graduate student, was awarded the Archie Carr award for her poster at the 28th Sea Turtle Symposium held in Loreto, Baja California Sur, Mexico.  This is a very prestigious award given at an international symposium.  The title of her poster was 'Effect of Nest Relocation on Loggerhead Hatching Success on Sapelo Island, GA, USA.'

Matthew Clement, wildlife graduate student, received the Best Student Presentation Award at the Colloquium on the Conservation of Mammals in the Southeastern United States held in Blacksburg, Virginia.  The title of his presentation was 'Distribution and Habitat Relationships of Rafinesque's Big-eared Bat in the Coastal Plain of Georgia.'  Matt is the 3rd Warnell student to win this award in the last 6 years. 

“Research Findings/Outreach Service/Publications”

The Warnell School hosted the 2008 Southeastern Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (SEPARC) annual meeting February 21-23 at the Georgia Center for Continuing Education Conference Center and Hotel.  A schedule for the meeting, including list of symposium speakers and topics, workshops, poster titles and field trips is available at the SEPARC website.  

The Center for Forest Business continued its successful series of forestland investment conferences with International Forest Investment: An Executive Education Conference. The conference was held at the Bayerischer Hof Hotel in Munich, Germany on February 22, 2008. For more information visit the conference website.

The Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources at The University of Georgia provides UGA students with five degree path programs in forestry and natural resource science and management, include the forestry, fisheries and aquaculture, natural resources recreation and tourism, water and soil resources, and wildlife management and ecology majors. With more than fifty faculty and 23,000 acres of teaching lands, the Warnell School is the southeast’s oldest, and one of the most respected forestry and natural resource education providers in the United States. The school also houses one of the largest study abroad programs in the nation covering all seven continents to provide global learning opportunities for its students. For more information visit the Warnell School website at www.warnell.uga.edu.