Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology December Newsletter Released

NCSU Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology Newsletter Volume 9, Issue 4, December 2012Don’t miss the December issue of the NCSU Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology program newsletter.
In this Issue –

  • Nature Research Center in Raleigh highlights FWCB research
  • Wildlife surveys in South Mountain State Park
  • wMammal project documents wildlife with citizen science
  • Dr. Paul Krausman delivers 2012 Barkalow Distinquished Conservationist Lecture
  • and more exciting FWCB news!

Read the complete issue (pdf)

NC sees bumper crop of Christmas trees this year

NC State Fraser Fir Field Research

Christmas tree research and extension programs at North Carolina State University cover all aspects of production and marketing and are collaboratively conducted across several departments in both the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) and the College of Natural Resources (CNR).

Have you selected the perfect Christmas tree yet?  Did you know that when you purchase a tree you are making a difference to North Carolina’s and the nation’s  economy?  According to the News & Observer…

“Farm income from Christmas trees totaled $85 million last year, though analysts say prices have been trending down for several years due to competition from fakes.  Real-tree dealers face heavy competition from artificial trees, which coupled with the down economy has put pressure on lower prices, said John Frampton, forestry professor at N.C. State University. But the industry expects the same slow uptick that much of the economy is seeing.”

Read the complete article in The News & Observer

 

Christmas tree economy: More than just ornaments

William Clark trims the trunk of a fraser fir tree.  Photo by NCSu Student Media

William Clark trims the trunk of a fraser fir tree Nov. 26. “I’ve been working at the market for 20 years,” Clark said, “we come down here from Ashe county for three weeks a year and we try to sell 1,500 trees.” Photo by NCSU Student media

Christmas trees may be a whimsical addition to holiday decorations, but the Christmas tree industry is a serious business. Lining the highways of western North Carolina are more than 25,000 acres of Christmas tree farms, full of rows of firs that are ready to be harvested, shipped off and sold Thanksgiving weekend and after for the holidays.

“The North Carolina Department of Agriculture reports that last year there were over $85 million in Christmas tree receipts,” said Jennifer Greene, the executive director of the North Carolina Christmas Tree Association.

North Carolina is second in the nation for Christmas tree production, behind only Oregon, mainly due to the state’s monopoly on what is considered by many to be the perfect species of Christmas tree — the Fraser fir, indigenous to the state. About 5 million are harvested each year.”

And no one knows this better than NC State University’s Christmas Tree Research and Extension program!

Read the complete article in technicianonline.com.