Gardening for Butterflies

August 2, 2018

A Penn State Extension article about butterflies prepared by Margaret C. Brittingham, professor of wildlife resources, and Judith Mank, former graduate research assistant.

Spotted lanternfly headlines College Exhibits Building at Ag Progress Days

August 1, 2018

The looming threat posed by the invasive spotted lanternfly will take center stage in the College of Agricultural Sciences Exhibits Building and Theatre during Penn State's Ag Progress Days, Aug. 14-16. Displays and presentations in the building also will highlight programs related to pond management and bait-fish production, hemp research, animal health, and agricultural policy.

Gluttonous grubs: Insecticide efficacy in turfgrass is focus of study

July 31, 2018

Research underway at the Joseph Valentine Turfgrass Research Center on the University Park campus is focusing on the effectiveness of a neonicotinoid insecticide — imidacloprid — in controlling grub populations.

Internship, classes provide valuable experiences for ERM major

July 31, 2018

Carrie Zamonski, of Brookhaven, Pennsylvania, is spending her summer at the beach -- but she's not there just for a vacation. Zamonski, a senior majoring in environmental resource management and minoring in watershed and water resources and marine science, is an intern at the Bald Head Island Conservancy in North Carolina.

Foresters' use of management tool focus of Penn State study

July 25, 2018

Researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences examined the use and user-friendliness of SILVAH-Oak — short for Silviculture of Allegheny Hardwoods — a decision-support tool developed by the U.S. Forest Service for making silvicultural decisions in mixed oak forests.

Meet the Invasive Insect that Is Changing an Entire Forest Bird Community

July 23, 2018

Throughout the eastern United States, forests of eastern hemlock, Tsuga canadensis, are under attack by a tiny invasive insect with an insatiable appetite for these giant trees. This attack is causing the decline of eastern hemlock and as a consequence, it is driving the disappearance of a variety of birds that are specialized to them, according to a recent study.

Study sheds new light on forests' response to atmospheric pollution

July 12, 2018

How forests respond to elevated nitrogen levels from atmospheric pollution is not always the same. While a forest is filtering nitrogen as expected, a higher percentage than previously seen is leaving the system again as the potent greenhouse gas nitrous oxide, say researchers.

Students participate in inaugural Flight 93 Memorial Alternative Break

June 22, 2018

This spring, Penn State DuBois was the first university to participate in the inaugural Alternative Break Service Program at Flight 93 National Memorial near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Although this is the first time the memorial has hosted an alternative break program, students in the Penn State DuBois Wildlife Technology program have participated in work at the site for five years, reclaiming areas that are former strip mines.

Gift from Skip Smith and sons to create Bird Garden in Arboretum

June 18, 2018

Charles H. “Skip” Smith, the Penn State alumnus and philanthropist whose giving has fueled the creation and supported the growth of The Arboretum at Penn State, has made a major new gift to enrich this University resource. Smith and his sons, David, Jeffry and John, have committed more than $1.8 million to launch construction of the Bird Garden in the Arboretum, which will be designed to attract birds year-round and educate the Arboretum’s many visitors.

Beth Boyer featured in The American Geophysical Union's (@theAGU) ecohydrology blog

June 18, 2018

Elizabeth Boyer is an Associate Professor of Water Resources in the Department of Ecosystem Science and Management at Penn State University.

SOILS 499A/B traveled to Wexford, Ireland

June 14, 2018

How do a landscape and its people evolve through time? SOILS 499A & B examined this question, and focused particularly on the role natural resource management has played in the evolution of culture, society, and civilization in Ireland.

Doctoral degree student awarded scholarship by national soil society

June 8, 2018

A graduate student in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences recently was named the recipient of a scholarship from the Soil Science Society of America.

Study shows burning trash leaves toxins in soil

June 1, 2018

Burning trash in the backyard has long been known to cause air quality concerns, but a recent Penn State study sponsored by the Centre County Recycling and Refuse Authority has found that the longtime practice of burning trash also puts harmful toxins in the soil.

Forest Resources Alumni Group names outstanding alumni for 2018

May 10, 2018

Five alumni recently received 2018 Outstanding Alumni Awards from Penn State's Forest Resources Alumni Group. The purpose of these awards is to recognize outstanding graduates of the former School of Forest Resources and the Department of Ecosystem Science and Management in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.

Deer fawns more likely to survive in agricultural landscapes than forest

May 1, 2018

The cruel truth is that throughout the white-tailed deer's range only about half of all fawns live to see their first birthday — most are killed by predators. However, they have a much better chance of surviving if they are born in farmland rather than in forest, according to Penn State researchers, who collaborated with Pennsylvania Game Commission deer biologists.

SOILS 404 educates Philadelphia students about SOILS!

April 27, 2018

Dr. Patrick Drohan and Dr. Heather Gall received a grant (the Harbaugh faculty scholar award) from the College of Agriculture at Penn State to collaborate on urban green infrastructure education via their classes. As part of this grant's activities, Dr. Drohan's SOILS 404 (Urban Soils) class visited Greenfield Elementary School this past week to speak to 5th graders about soil and why it matters to people in cities.

Students partner with conservationists for tree planting, habitat improvement

April 27, 2018

A group of students in the Penn State DuBois Wildlife Technology program partnered with local and state organizations to help improve the habitat of a wild trout stream in the area.

To know the crow: Insights and stories from over a quarter century of crow study

April 1, 2018

Researcher, author and educator Kevin McGowan will recount the results of his 30-year study of more than 2,500 individual crows -- including their home and family life, flock life, and crow-human interactions -- at 5 p.m. on April 4 in 112 Forest Resources Building on Penn State's University Park campus.

Kaye receives Black Award for excellence in research

March 23, 2018

Jason Kaye, professor of soil biogeochemistry, is the recipient of the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences' 2017 Alex and Jessie C. Black Award for Excellence in Research. The honor recognizes a tenure-track faculty member in the college whose significant accomplishments include exceptional and original agricultural research conducted at Penn State.

Kaye receives Black Award for excellence in research

March 23, 2018

Jason Kaye, professor of soil biogeochemistry, is the recipient of the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences' 2017 Alex and Jessie C. Black Award for Excellence in Research.

Investment from Skip Smith to launch construction of Pollinators' Garden

March 20, 2018

Investment from Penn State alumnus and leading philanthropist Charles H. “Skip” Smith will enable The Arboretum at Penn State to fulfill its longstanding vision for a garden that will attract and sustain native pollinator species of birds and insects.

Researchers to study ramps' market, flavor profile, vulnerability to pest

March 7, 2018

A good way to describe ramps, it has been said, is to note what they are not. Ramps are not leeks, nor are they scallions or shallots. Ramps look like scallions, but they're smaller and have one or two broad, flat leaves.

Nontraditional student learns valuable lessons on road to reaching dreams

March 1, 2018

Josh Hersl, a senior forest ecosystem management major in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, has experienced a few roadblocks and detours on the road to reaching his dreams.

Penn State forestry student works for education and diversity

February 22, 2018

Sky Templeton, a junior majoring in forest ecosystems management with a minor in biology, is passionate about forestry, education and minority representation, and is exploring all three interests as a student in the College of Agricultural Sciences.

The Secret Life of Bluebirds

February 12, 2018

A video developed by Wildlife and Fisheries Science graduate student Danielle Williams offers a behind-the-scenes and “inside-the-box” view of the secret and busy life of a nesting bluebird.

How Pipelines are Changing the Dynamics of PA Forests

February 8, 2018

Lillie Langlois, researcher and instructor, studied aerial images to map natural gas development in Lycoming County over a number of years. Langlois and her colleagues found that linear infrastructure like pipelines and roads had a bigger impact on carving up forests — and affecting the wildlife habitat within them — than the drilling well pads themselves.

Researchers and roommates head to national conference

February 5, 2018

Lauren Onofrio is a Biology major with a minor in Forest Ecosystems. She has worked under Laura Leites in the quantitative forest ecology lab since fall 2015 and plans to pursue an M.S. in Ecology with Dr. Leites in fall 2018.

Agroforestry systems may play vital role in mitigating climate change

February 1, 2018

Agroforestry could play an important role in mitigating climate change because it sequesters more atmospheric carbon in plant parts and soil than conventional farming, according to Penn State researchers.

Pa. deer, like mammals worldwide, move less in human-modified landscapes

January 25, 2018

In the big woods of Pennsylvania's Northern Tier, the home range of the average white-tailed deer is more than twice as large as that of a deer in urban or agricultural areas of the state. Penn State researcher Duane Diefenbach documented that phenomenon early on in his work, but it did not occur to him it might be representative of many different mammal species around the globe.

Duncan joins Department of Ecosystem Science and Management

January 16, 2018

Jonathan Duncan recently joined Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences as an assistant professor of hydrology in the Department of Ecosystem Science and Management.