Purdue Forestry and Natural Resources

03/09/2026

Do you know an FNR alum that has done outstanding work that deserves department recognition? Nominations are open until Sept. 14 (https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6sQD8ViCh33LMOy) for our FNR Outstanding Young Alumni Award (less than 15 years since last FNR degree completion), Distinguished Alumni Award (mid-career award) or Lifetime Achievement Award (does not have to be an FNR alum). For a list of past recipients, qualifications and nomination materials: https://ag.purdue.edu/department/fnr/alumni/awards.html

Here's a look back at the honorees from 2024 (https://ag.purdue.edu/news/department/fnr/2024/12/fnr-announces-2024-career-award-recipients.html) and 2025 (https://ag.purdue.edu/news/department/fnr/2026/01/fnr-names-2025-alumni-career-award-recipients.html).

02/09/2026

A field trip on the first week of school? Dr. Kyle Horton's Advanced Ornithology class and Jarred Brooke's History and Role of Hunting in North American Wildlife Conservation class got hands-on experience banding wood ducks with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources at LaSalle Fish & Wildlife Area on Friday. What a great day in nature!

01/09/2026

As a forestry major, you'll gain hands-on experience in the field, work alongside industry experts and explore careers ranging from conservation and urban forestry to wood products and natural resource management. With immersive learning opportunities, internships and a five-week Summer Practicum, you'll graduate ready to make an impact wherever forests grow. Check out the possibilities and pass them along to others interested in making a difference.

31/08/2026

Help us celebrate Francis "Franky" Kudwa, who successfully defended his master's thesis last week. His thesis was on "Spawning Habitat Utilization and Early Life Dynamics of Great Lakes Fishes."

Franky is advised by Dr. Tomas Hook. His defense committee also included Drs. Paris Collingsworth and David Fielder (Michigan Department of Natural Resources).

28/08/2026

Are you an agricultural producer or landowner in Indiana that is interested in gaining funding to help you protect and conserve your land? Apply by Dec. 18 to be considered for fiscal year 2027 funding. (https://www.morningagclips.com/nrcs-in-indiana-accepting-applications-for-conservation-programs/). Here's a look at one example of the impact these programs can have for landowners and the environment around them: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/state-offices/indiana/news/restoring-roots-to-save-the-salamanders

27/08/2026

Our faculty are super creative when it comes to introducing their classes. How about a game of "What Bird is on My Forehead?" to get things rolling? That was one activity in Dr. Kyle Horton's Advanced Ornithology course on Wednesday. In Fundamentals of Remote Sensing, Dr. Rubab Saher showed her class everything from the frequencies coming off trees to space missions illustrating the engineering of remote sensing. What are your favorite FNR class activities?

26/08/2026

Who's joining us at the American Fisheries Society annual meeting in Columbus, Ohio, next week? Make sure to mark your calendar to stop in and say hello at our alumni and friends reception on Monday after the poster session. We'd also love to share the research our students, faculty and staff are doing. Check out their presentations throughout the week.

25/08/2026

School is back in session! Dr. Reuben Goforth shared pictures from his Marine Biology and Aquatic Sampling Techniques courses on Monday. What advice do you have for our current FNR students as they begin a new term? Share it in the comments section.

24/08/2026

In early August, some of our FNR faculty, staff and students attended the American Ornithological Society meeting in Amherst, Massachusetts. Drs. Patrick Ruhl, Kyle Horton and Carolyn Burt and their labs love sharing their own research and networking with others in their fields of expertise. Check out their lab websites: https://ruhlresearch.wixsite.com/patrickjruhl and https://aeroecolab.com/.

21/08/2026

Keep your eyes on the skies this weekend. Follow our Aero Eco lab website (https://aeroecolab.com/) and click on Lights Out Alerts for updates throughout the fall migration season.

About 150-230M birds are predicted to migrate across the U.S. each night this weekend!

Lights at night can be very disorienting to birds during their long fall migration. To help prevent deadly bird collisions, turn off or dim unnecessary lights!

Graphic: CornellLab, BirdCast