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School of Environment and Natural Resources

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  1. People walking across the Oval at Ohio State during Spring.

    SENR is Hiring! Check out our latest opportunities

    Jun 4, 2025

    Instructional Aid Specialist-Capstone and Outreach Support | Full Details to Apply

    Instructional Design Senior Specialist | Full Details to Apply

  2. A workshop at the Ohio Agroforestry Summit.

    Ohio Agroforestry Summit Helps Ohio Woodland Landowners to Branch Out

    Jun 2, 2025

    Farmers, forest-owners, and friends convened in Wooster, Ohio for the first-ever Ohio Agroforestry Summit. More than 120 people attended the spring event, an indicator of the growing public interest in agroforestry across the state. 

    Agroforestry involves practices that combine tree management with other agricultural enterprises on the same piece of land. Meghan Edwards, a graduate student in the School of Environment and Natural Resources (SENR) at The Ohio State University organized the Summit and has been studying the drivers and barriers to using different agroforestry practices as part of a multi-state effort to create agroforestry peer-to-peer networks in the upper Midwest. With support from the USDA and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the project aims to expand use of agroforestry practices and markets by small and medium sized farms in Ohio, Michigan, and Wisconsin. SENR faculty member Doug Jackson-Smith leads the project. 

    Learn more about the first-ever Ohio Agroforestry Summit >>

  3. Marine debris is defined as any solid, manufactured material that has been disposed of or abandoned in the marine environment or the Great Lakes.

    Engaging Lake Erie Communities about Plastics and Marine Debris

    Jun 2, 2025

    Plastics permeate every part of our lives, from packaging for food and beverages, to our clothing, to cosmetics and medical supplies. It’s estimated that each year, nearly 22 million pounds of plastic enters the Great Lakes, posing threats to the environment and, potentially, public health.

    Part of the solution to this problem involves helping people make a connection between the convenience of plastic and how pervasive it is, said Abigail Comar, Ohio Sea Grant’s marine debris outreach specialist. Through her role based in northeast Ohio, Comar contributes to ongoing projects helping to raise awareness about plastic pollution and marine debris.

    Marine debris is defined as any solid, manufactured material that has been disposed of or abandoned in the marine environment or the Great Lakes

    “Plastic has become a part of almost every single aspect of everyone’s life,” Comar said. “I think bringing intentional awareness to its presence and how you interact with it is an important stepping stone toward making change.” 

    Read more about raising awareness about plastic pollution in the Great Lakes >>

  4. People in a forest wearing protective gear and conducting a prescribed burn.

    Strengthening Land Management and Resilience

    May 14, 2025

    Wildfires are widely known in the Western United States, but in recent years, they have made their way east – most recently into South and North Carolina.

    Where will they be next, and how are people and communities managing the risk of wildfire?  Faculty in the School of Environment and Natural Resources (SENR) are investigating these questions and more to better prepare and inform land managers and train students for the future of land management.
    Read more about faculty research and teaching in this area >>

  5. A group of people presenting posters at a research symposium.

    SENR Students Deliver Outstanding Program

    May 12, 2025

    School of Environment and Natural Resources (SENR) graduate students organized and hosted their annual research symposium featuring undergraduate and graduate research on April 25.  The day-long symposium featured three oral presentation sessions, two poster networking sessions, a keynote address and an awards ceremony. Twenty-eight students presented their research with six awards presented to students in 5 categories.
    Read more about the program >>

  6. Two people standing beside each other in front of a curtain.

    Resilience-Promoting Management Practices Poster Recognized

    May 8, 2025

    Dr. Aline de Camargo Santos won 2nd place in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) postdoctoral poster competition at this year's 2025 CFAES Research Forum and Poster Competition.  Dr. Santos shared her research findings from the Triplett-Van Doren No-Tillage and Crop Rotation Experiment with a poster titled “Crop Diversification and No-Tillage as Resilience-Promoting Management Practices: Learning from 60+ Years of Research in Ohio”. Her research indicated that integrating diverse rotations with forage crops and no-tillage enhances the provision of ecosystems services, leading to more productive and resilient agroecosystems.
    Learn more >>

  7. The newest members of Xi Sigma Pi

    Newest members of Xi Sigma Pi inducted

    Apr 23, 2025

    Congratulations to the newest members of Xi Sigma Pi – the national forestry honor society.

    On the evening of April 15th, the Alpha Psi chapter of the Xi Sigma Pi National Forestry Honors Fraternity inducted its third group of students and faculty/staff. They inducted twelve students: Oneli Basnagala, Katie Bilotas, Allie Carter, Martha Haney, Rowan Hauer, Derek Korane, Haley Marcum, Alaina McLaughlin, Mitchell Plants, Anna Rose, Margaret Rundio, and Alexandra Sloat. Additionally, Jim Downs - Assistant Professor and Forestry Field Specialist with Ohio State University Extension, Simon Power - Visiting Assistant Professor in SENR, and Kirsten Packer - Instructional Aids Associate in SENR, were also inducted.
    Read more about the induction ceremony >>

  8. Aerial view of the Olentangy River Wetland Research Park

    Discover the Wild Side of Science at the ORWRP BioBlitz on May 2 

    Apr 22, 2025

    COLUMBUS, OH — On Friday, May 2, nature lovers, families, students, and scientists are invited to join a full day of exploration and discovery at the Olentangy River Wetland Research Park (ORWRP) for its first annual BioBlitz — a hands-on biodiversity event where participants help identify as many species as possible within a single day. 

  9. Midwestern farm field

    Commentary on farmer-led research

    Apr 22, 2025

    A commentary by Fred Yoder, who is part of a grain-farmer group in west-central Ohio is published in Ohio Farmer and featured on Farm Progress. The commentary describes new farmer-led research to help soils. Yoder and the grain-farmer group will embark on a project looking at a range of fungicides and multiple ways of using them to see which ones work best to protect corn and soybeans and determine if they are worth the investment. Their findings will be made available to all. The on-farm research and collaboration is one of the new farmer-led projects associated with 'From the Ground Up' and is supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

    Read the commentary here >>

  10. A solar array in Port Murray, New Jersey, located within a township that supports community solar development.

    In US, saving money is top reason to embrace solar power

    Apr 22, 2025

    Study is first to gauge public perception of 2 residential solar options

    COLUMBUS, Ohio – Financial benefits, such as saving on utility payments and avoiding electricity rate hikes, are a key driver of U.S. adults’ willingness to consider installing rooftop solar panels or subscribing to community solar power, a new study suggests.

    Researchers at The Ohio State University conducted a national survey to gauge consumer perceptions about adopting solar power. Though previous work has examined views about rooftop solar, this study is the first assessment of public opinion about accessing community solar energy for household use.

    The findings led researchers to recommend that policymakers and industry leaders increase marketing campaign references to the practical reasons for embracing solar power – including saving money and improving property values without taking big risks – to encourage broader residential use.

    Read more about the study findings in Ohio State News >>

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