Research

William Bartram was struck by the beauty of the trees he found along the banks of Georgia’s Altamaha River in 1773.

The trees, Bartram noted, had flowers that “are very large, expand themselves perfectly, are of a snow-white colour, and ornamented with a crown or tassel of gold coloured refulgent staminae in their centre.” Bartram had encountered the same trees when he and his father, John Bartram, went on their first expedition in 1765 to catalog the flora and fauna of the southeastern area of the North American colonies at the request of King George III.

The fish writhed and splashed inside the plastic bucket as Kevin Thomas hustled down the pathway. He ducked off to the side, steadied his load over the water’s edge, and emptied its contents into the chilly waters of Smith Creek.

The rainbow trout shimmied into the deep and disappeared. Although, perhaps, not for long—several anglers out enjoying the crisp, sunny day at Unicoi State Park eyed Thomas and his truck, fresh from a Georgia Department of Natural Resources hatchery, with anticipation.

Amid the serenity of Arkansas’ Ozark Mountains, a storm is brewing.

But rather than feeding the region’s lakes and rivers, it’s thundering through forests and valleys and entangling the region’s deer population along the way. As a result, many of the region’s deer suffer from chronic wasting disease, an incurable disease that means a death sentence for any animal that contracts it.

While the origins of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 are still unclear, researchers have long suspected that the virus that causes COVID-19 originated in bats and might have found a host in another animal on its way to infecting humans.

Wes Gerrin is no stranger to fish.

As a master’s student and technician in aquatics labs at the University of Georgia Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, Gerrin has seen his fair share of shiners and darters. But recently, as he looked into a bucket of fish he and colleagues collected from an Athens-area stream for a research project, he was stumped.

Ecotourism offers a specific travel experience: It focuses on nature, education and sustainability. Often, these destinations highlight endangered or threatened species and engage visitors in making socially responsible choices.

One of Georgia’s most plentiful assets might be a key to help the state combat global climate change.

The state is covered with trees—Georgia is almost 60% forested—and each tree has the ability to offset carbon that’s emitted into the atmosphere. But the amount of carbon, the cost of that sequestration, and potential for new jobs in rural parts of the state are all questions to be answered.

Some of the world’s most important feats of engineering come from natural formations.

Sand dunes are engineered to prevent erosion. Floodplains along rivers give them space to ebb and flow while protecting communities from flooding—and also filter out pollution and provide wildlife habitat.

A good day of fishing can mean different things to different people.

It goes beyond what you catch (or don’t). A successful day out on a lake or river is also affected by factors such as whether you want to fish from the shore or a boat or what kind of fish are stocked. Any fishery can be one angler’s secret spot—and another’s last resort.

When rural towns look for ideas to widen their economic base, tourism isn’t always the most obvious solution—especially during a pandemic.

But a new study by University of Georgia researchers offers a potential road map, connecting landscapes to preferences among motorcycle enthusiasts. By designating and marketing scenic byways, rural communities could appeal to a specific set of tourists who prefer small roads with no clear destination.