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Dr. David Kulhavy, Laurence C. Walker professor of forest entomology within Stephen F. Austin State University’s Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture, was one of a select group of forestry professionals from across the nation chosen to present at the first Forest Innovation Reviews Forum sponsored by the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities.
Kulhavy’s presentation focused on the myriad ways in which geospatial technologies, and more specifically unmanned aerial systems, commonly known as drones, are contributing to the field of natural resources conservation and education.
Kulhavy said this technology allows users to complete projects, such as the creation of an orthophoto map, in a matter of hours — a task that traditionally took days to finish.
Students within SFA’s Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture have access to this technology and, with guidance from Kulhavy and other professors, they engage in novel investigation and research. Examples of past student projects include determining the accuracy of drones in tree height measurement, monitoring forest health and quantifying land use change.
“This is what is really neat in terms of teaching the concepts of research and service — you have your automatic project right there,” Kulhavy said. “That’s what we do — we put the drones in the student’s hands.”
The selection process for this forum was a multistage procedure that included interviews, as well as the development of multiple proposals and video presentations. The 2019 forum, hosted by the University of Georgia, was created as a way to share well-formed ideas about forests, forest management, forest products and forest-rich communities through short, powerful talks. Kulhavy’s full presentation is available at youtube.com/watch?v=T8Z79AgluNE.
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 The Stephen F. Austin State University student chapter of The Wildlife Society received the Student Chapter of the Year award and defeated universities from across the state to win its second consecutive Quiz Bowl Championship at the statewide Texas Chapter of The Wildlife Society meeting held this month in Corpus Christi.
“Based on the feedback I received from colleagues attending the meeting, it is clear our students’ success validated the excellence of SFA’s forest wildlife management program,” said Dr. Daniel Scognamillo, SFA associate professor of wildlife ecology and Wildlife Society faculty advisor. “Now, the energy and enthusiasm of the chapter is focused on carrying that momentum to the national Wildlife Society meeting in Louisville, Kentucky.”
The Student Chapter of the Year award recognizes the SFA student chapter’s leadership, activities and advocacy related to wildlife management and conservation. Specifically, the SFA student chapter has dedicated considerable time and effort during the past two years to gaining support among Texas legislators for the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act. If passed, the bipartisan legislation would make supplemental funds available to states for the management of wildlife most in need of conservation.
“We’ve all worked hard during the past year, so it’s great to see our hard work pay off,” said Mikaela Egbert, forest wildlife management senior and SFA Wildlife Society chapter president.
In addition to the Quiz Bowl, a competition challenging students from across the state with rounds of questions related to the broad range of wildlife biology, management and research, SFA students presented research posters and attended a number of workshops. The student chapter also recognized Taylor McDaniel, forest wildlife management sophomore, as SFA’s 2020 Outstanding Wildlife Student.
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%202.jpg) In recognition of United Nations World Water Day, Stephen F. Austin State University, the City of Nacogdoches, Keep Nacogdoches Beautiful and Resilient Nacogdoches invite the community to participate Saturday, March 21, in cleaning up litter in and along Lanana Creek.
“We are extremely fortunate for the water resources available to us in East Texas, and it is important that we are good stewards of this precious resource,” said Sarah Fuller, outreach coordinator with SFA’s Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture.
The event, lasting from 9 a.m. to noon, also will include family-friendly activities and educational information related to hydrology. Supplies such as gloves and garbage bags will be provided. Participants are encouraged to help make the stream cleanup a litter-free event by bringing a reusable water bottle.
Refreshments will be provided prior to and following the cleanup.
"Our community prides itself on its beauty, and it is important for us to support and recognize all of the groups that help maintain this beauty throughout the year," said Brian Bray, director of community services for the City of Nacogdoches. "We are thankful this event not only fills a need but also helps to bring all of these wonderful organizations together."
Because the cleanup will take place in and alongside the creek, participants are advised to dress accordingly and wear proper footwear, such as rubber boots or secure water shoes.
Event sign in begins at 9 a.m. at the Pecan Park Pavilion located at 826 Starr Ave. Participants are asked to RSVP online at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70a0b4da8a923a7f58-world. Participants under the age of 18 require adult supervision.
For more information, contact Fuller at (936) 468-1185 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
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 Dr. Daniel Unger, Kenneth Nelson Distinguished Professor of spatial science within Stephen F. Austin State University’s Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture, was awarded the 2019 Carl Alwin Schenck Award from the Society of American Foresters during the SAF National Convention held in November in Louisville, Kentucky.
The national award recognizes individuals who display a notable and sustained record of excellence in forestry education through outstanding service to the field and the development of dynamic, personal teaching methods.
“To be recognized by my fellow colleagues at the national level regarding my commitment to forestry education throughout my career is a humbling experience,” Unger said. “I truly enjoy interacting with the students on a daily basis.”
Unger is one of three SFA forestry professors who have earned the prestigious award. Dr. David Kulhavy, Laurence C. Walker professor of forest entomology, received the award in 2010, and Dr. Brian Oswald, Joe C. Denman Distinguished Professor of fire ecology, received the award in 2002.
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 The Society of American Foresters named Stephen F. Austin State University senior Kathryn Christensen as a 2019 Diversity Scholar and recognized the SFA student chapter of the SAF as one of the top three student chapters in the nation during the organization’s national conference held last month in Louisville, Kentucky.
The SAF Diversity Scholar Program is designed to promote leadership and create community within the SAF by encouraging the involvement of a variety of people in the profession. As the 2019 Diversity Scholar, Christensen participated in the organization’s Diversity and Inclusion Working Group and was paired with a mentor who works in the field of natural resources.
Christensen, a forestry major, said she advocates for expanding access to outdoor recreation in marginalized communities.
“My love for the outdoors came from my mother’s amazingly creative ways to get us in touch with nature on a budget,” Christensen said. “My past experiences of feeling left out because of the inability to afford camps, cruises and more luxurious ways of viewing nature has only fueled my passion for giving opportunities to those who find outdoor recreation unattainable.”
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 Dr. David Creech, Stephen F. Austin State University professor emeritus of agriculture and director of SFA Gardens, received the Charles Leonard Weddle Award for lifetime achievement in the field of Texas native plants from the Native Plant Society of Texas during its 2019 banquet in League City.
“Dr. Creech has spent the better part of the past 30 years including native plants in his classroom material at SFA, encouraging nursery professionals to include native plants and counseling landscape professionals to do the same,” said Kim Conrow, president-elect of the state board of the Native Plant Society of Texas.
Creech joined SFA as an assistant professor of horticulture in 1978 and was instrumental in the development of the Pineywoods Native Plant Center, SFA’s Mast Arboretum and the Ruby and Gayla Mize Azalea Gardens, as well as Jimmy Hinds Park. Creech’s dedication to the horticulture profession has been recognized through numerous other awards, including Honorary Membership Award for Lifetime Achievement through the Texas Nursery and Landscape Association and the Sidney Meadows Award for Distinguished Achievement from the Southern Region of the International Plant Propagator’s Society.
“This is really an award for all of SFA,” Creech said. “Our work with native plants at SFA Gardens goes back to the 1980s with our original focus on three endangered species — the Neches river rose mallow, Texas trailing phlox and Texas white firewheel. These three are still precariously hanging on in the wild but are quite secure in garden collections across the South due much in part to our work at SFA.”
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