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Jan 13, 2025
The School of Environment and Natural Resources (SENR) seminar series is a a longstanding opportunity for students and faculty across the university to learn about emerging and impactful scholarly research in the field of environmental and natural resources from both Ohio State’s own experts and distinguished faculty from other institutions. This academic year the series has been reimagined to highlight what graduate students are working on during their time in SENR.
Discover the range of graduate student research presented autumn semester and what is planned for spring >>
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Jan 14, 2025
Course enrollment opens January 27
Improving Weather and Climate Understanding took the state by storm – offering workshops across Ohio to empower teaching and dissemination of climate and weather education – and now, the program is set to launch a self-paced online course to broaden access to educators, environmental professionals and students. "Offering an online option is great for those who have been interested in our in-person workshops but unable to attend due to travel, work, or other obstacles," said Geddy Davis, project lead and program coordinator for weather and climate services with the Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center (BPCRC) at The Ohio State University.
Learn more about the course and how to enroll >>
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Jan 9, 2025
Study finds access to nature isn’t key to animals’ success in the city
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Tracking coyote movement in metropolitan areas shows the animals spend lots of time in natural settings, but a new study suggests the human element of city life has a bigger impact than the environment on urban coyote survival.
Researchers monitoring coyotes in Chicago found that habitat – areas with relatively high levels of vegetation cover and low levels of human infrastructure – did not influence coyote survival in positive or negative ways. Instead, areas densely populated with humans were associated with longer coyote lifespans.
“What we found was really interesting, in that the societal characteristics seem to play a much more important role in predicting coyote survival time than the environmental characteristics,” said Emily Zepeda, first author of the study and a postdoctoral scholar in the School of Environment and Natural Resources at The Ohio State University. Read more about the study in Ohio State News >>
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Jan 8, 2025
Discover all there is to know about Ohio owls at Owl Prowl - a family friendly evening event!
Owl crafts, tasty hot drinks and educational activities planned
“With winter being mating season for several Ohio owl species this is an excellent time to host this event, said Marne Titchenell, wildlife program director for Ohio State University Extension in the School of Environment and Natural Resources. “This is best done during early winter as it is mating season for several Ohio species. Early winter is best as come late winter, the females will be on eggs, and we don’t want to disturb them during that time.” Learn more about this educational offering >>
Learn more about this educational offering >>
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Jan 3, 2025
Graduate student research will be presented and on display at the upcoming 65th Annual Ohio Wildlife Management Association (OWMA) conference held on the campus of The Ohio State University. The conference theme, Quality Habitat, Quality Wildlife will bring together land and wildlife management professionals from across the state to foster, promote and practice wildlife research and management.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Chief Kendra Wecker will provide welcome remarks at the January 17 all-day event at the Nationwide & Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center with a Keynote Address from Darin McNeil, assistant professor of Wildlife Ecology and Management, who will discuss the umbrella species concept and wildlife conservation on private forests in the Eastern United States.
"The Ohio Wildlife Management Conference is one of, if not THE longest running state wildlife management conference of its kind in the entire U.S.,” said Bob Gates, associate professor of Wildlife Ecology and Management in the School of Environment and Natural Resources (SENR) at The Ohio State University.
Discover what SENR research will be presented >>
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Dec 23, 2024
The Woodland Stewards program equips landowners with vital skills and knowledge to manage, restore and earn from their woods.
Legend has it that Ohio’s forest was once so thick, a squirrel could travel from the Ohio River to Lake Erie without ever touching the ground.
But when settlers arrived, they cut down trees to build homes, create farms and fuel industry, and by the late 1800s, forest cover dropped from 95 percent to 10 percent, says Kathy Smith ’85, ’89 MS, Ohio State Extension program director for forestry.
“Many people were appalled at the loss of forests, so the state legislature created a forestry bureau [in 1906], and it was first housed at the university,” Smith says.
Ever since, Ohio State has been a leader in helping woodland owners manage their land through its Extension agents and Woodland Stewards Program.
“Our goal is to provide woodland owners with a variety of skills so they can apply them to their own property and make better decisions when caring for their land,” says Smith, co-coordinator of the program.
Helping Forest Owners Thrive >>
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Dec 23, 2024
Ohio State researchers to launch new demonstration farm at CFAES Wooster
What’s in a Christmas tree?
For researchers at The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES), it’s decades of exploration and study, tree breeding, and a deep commitment to growing the perfect conifer. This holiday season, their hard work is taking root in a new initiative: the Ohio State CFAES Demonstration Christmas Tree Farm on the CFAES Wooster campus.
While the farm is still in the works, excitement is already growing.
Spanning 6.5 acres at Secrest Arboretum, this new farm will serve as an educational hub for Ohio’s Christmas tree growers. The project will focus on helping new and experienced growers alike learn best practices for tree farming, from planting to pruning. It’s a place where hands-on training will meet decades of research, and an opportunity to carry forward the legacy of Ohio State’s Christmas tree research.
“This farm will be a place where new growers can learn and practice everything they need to know, from layout and planting to shearing and harvesting. And it’s not just about growing trees; it’s about growing skills. We want growers to feel confident when they step onto their own farms,” said Jake Nicholson, nontimber forest product specialist in CFAES School of Environment and Natural Resources and the lead of the new project.
Carrying forward the legacy of Ohio State's Christmas tree research >>
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Dec 5, 2024
Over 100 expert research teams are working on solutions to benefit Ohio
Ohio Sea Grant, on behalf of The Ohio State University, The University of Toledo and the Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE), has released the 2024 research findings update for the statewide Harmful Algal Bloom Research Initiative (HABRI), which seeks solutions for harmful algal blooms in Ohio. The initiative currently consists of 48 science teams working on different critical knowledge gaps identified by front-line state agencies that include the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Ohio Department of Agriculture, Ohio Department of Health, Ohio Lake Erie Commission and Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
The 2024 report highlights the state of Ohio continues to benefit from the initiative >>
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Dec 3, 2024
The Terrestrial Wildlife Ecology Lab (TWEL) and Ohio Division of Wildlife announce summer 2024 internship opportunities. Gain valuable wildlife-biology and wildlife-management experience, learn about the Ohio Division of Wildlife, and to meet wildlife agency staff. These internships will provide an excellent chance to improve your professional qualifications in the field of natural resources, and in the specialization of wildlife management and wildlife research. Apply today for a 12-week summer internship positions expected to run from 12 May to 1 August 2025. Full details, including how to apply available here.
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Nov 27, 2024
Building bridges—the theme of the 2024 North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) Research Symposium and Conference—was the hope of six students from Dr. Marijke Hecht’s Learning Ecologies Lab as they traveled to Pittsburgh, PA earlier in November to attend the NAAEE Research Symposium. While accompanied by two SENR faculty, these newcomers to NAAEE brought their different interests in environmental education in hopes to contribute to the building of bridges between pedagogy, pursuits, and practice.
Learn more about building bridges and inspiration in Pittsburgh >>
