The Daniel B. Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, established in 1906, is the oldest program in the South that provides forest resources service and outreach, instruction, and research programs. Programs in forestry, wildlife, fisheries, and water resources are directed to enhance the use and value of Georgia's vital renewable natural resources.

Our mission is to help citizens of Georgia and the US reach informed decisions about personal objectives and societal issues involving forestry and forest products, wildlife, aquaculture and fisheries and related natural resources. In this effort we are committed to education through technology transfer, translation and synthesis of research results and other information, discussion and explanation of public policy issues and science-based evaluations and recommendations.

We also are involved in promoting sustainable natural resources management and in communicating research and educational needs. We take responsibility for educational service and outreach directed at a healthy natural environment, managed to protect water, air and soil. We encourage land use decisions and actions that improve the quality, productivity, sustainability and profitability from natural resources.

Our educational audience and clientele are landowners, natural resource professionals, resource decisionmakers, resource users, county agents, youth, trainers and educators, a concerned public and the media.

Educational Resources

The Georgia Master Naturalist program is a series of weekly programs with specific environmental topics. This program is a hands-on environmental education program that explores habitats and ecosystems in Georgia. The sessions are customized to local habitats such as swamps, sand ridges, ponds, rivers, wetlands, mountains, forests, urban landscapes and the issues affecting them. Individuals interested in this program should contact their local county extension office.

Educational Forests

Mary Kahrs Warnell Forest Education Center

The Mary Kahrs Warnell Forest Education Center is located within the 1,900-acre Dorothy Warnell Research, Education and Demonstration Forest. The purpose of the Center is to provide educational programs about sustainable forest management practices and forest ecosystems. Completed in August 2001, the Center is named in honor of Mary Kahrs Warnell, wife of Daniel B. Warnell and mother of five children, including sisters Dorothy Warnell, who died in 1996, and Carolyn Warnell Bryan, who deeded the land for both the forest and the Center. The Center was dedicated on 7 November 2001.

Oconee Forest Park

Oconee Forest Park is a 60 acre natural area on the University of Georgia campus in Athens, Georgia. Oconee Forest Park provides recreation, teaching, and research opportunities for the University community while preserving its 100-year-old forest.

Thompson Mills Forest and State Arboretum

In 1980, Lenox Thompson Thornton donated 318 rolling Piedmont acres to the University of Georgia for its establishment. Thompson Mills Forest was designated in 1991 as the State's official arboretum.

Center for Forest Business

The Center for Forest Business is a collaborative effort between faculty, business and industry leaders, private landowners, and cooperating state and federal agencies.

The University of Georgia's Center for Forest Business was created to integrate the business aspects of forest production and processing with the biological and ecological requirements of sustainable production. Through its faculty in the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, the Center provides timely, relevant education, research and service programs to business and industry leaders, forest landowners and students.

The Center also helps the state's $20 billion a year (2001) forest products industry respond to increasing demands for forest products, fluctuating markets, and increasing international competition.

Timber Mart-South

Timber Mart-South is a quarterly market price survey and report of the major timber products in 11 Southeastern States: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia.

A survey is made of professionals throughout the region engaged in the timber business on a day-to-day basis. By balancing buyers' quotes with sellers' timber sales data, we achieve an accurate representation of the market.

Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health

The Center for Invasive Species & Ecosystem Health has been established at the University of Georgia to address issues on invasive species and ecosystem (agricultural, forested and natural system) health. The Center, housed at the University of Georgia Tifton Campus, evolved from the Bugwood Network that developed through faculty cooperation between the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources and the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and at the University of Georgia. The Center will serve a lead role in development, consolidation and dissemination of information and programs focused on invasive species, forest health, natural resource and agricultural management through technology development, program implementation, training, applied research and public awareness. It operates 20 websites that received 147 million hits from 23 million users last year. The Forestry Images, IPMImages and Invasive.org image archives created by Center's Bugwood Network include 75,000 images from 1,300 photographers. See www.bugwood.org for more information.