From black bears and bald eagles to blue crabs and manatees, the southern United States is home to a wide range of species and offers a rest stop to millions … Read more
southeast forestry program
Managing and Harvesting Pine Straw for Wildlife
You can’t travel far in the American South without seeing longleaf pine straw in residential flowerbeds, industrial complexes, or highway landscapes. The red-orange mulch dominates the landscaping industry because of … Read more
Celebrating Landowner Mentor Herbert Hodges, 2025 Conservationist of the Year
Walk through Herbert Hodges’s longleaf pine forest and you’ll find more than trees. You’ll find a living classroom where neighbors, students, and fellow landowners gather to learn how to care … Read more
The Evolution of Forest Resilience: Lessons from the Last 100 Years
Over the past century, our understanding of forest resilience has transformed from a model of control and suppression to one that embraces disturbance and diversity. This shift reflects a growing … Read more
Understanding the Benefits of Prescribed Fire
There’s an unfortunate misconception about the role of forest fires, with the public fearing the natural disaster’s potential for destruction, displacement, and disruption. However, while large wildfires can certainly be … Read more
Why Science and Storytelling Matter More Than Ever for Prescribed Fire
In today’s changing climate, prescribed fire is more than just a land management technique. It’s a lifeline for our forests, grasslands, and wildlife. But despite its benefits, prescribed fire continues … Read more
Exploring Edible Plants Native to the Southeast U.S.
Almost everything grown for food and agriculture today is the product of thousands of years of breeding. Farmers of the past domesticated crop plants by selecting desirable traits to pass … Read more
Reclaiming Heirs’ Property: One Landowner’s Story
In 1865, Dr. Thomas Lining, a former slave owner in South Carolina, signed over his land to Lizzie Cunningham Dottree Hamilton. However, this wasn’t an act of generosity, but rather … Read more
How the Longleaf Pine’s Needles Support the Lumbee People
When settlers invaded North America, they encountered significant beauty and ecological richness, such as the sprawling longleaf pine forests that covered approximately 90 million acres of the Southeast—made possible through … Read more
An Open Letter to Aspiring Ecologists, Conservationists, and Naturalists
To everyone striving to make a difference in ecology, conservation, and natural sciences, I know the journey isn’t always easy. Choosing to walk a path dedicated to understanding, protecting, and … Read more
