Staff

Dec 12, 2024

How Hurricane Helene Affected NC’s Christmas Tree Industry

RAL Today
According to Dr. Justin Whitehill, an assistant professor in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources at NC State, at least six Christmas Tree farms in western North Carolina were severely impacted by Hurricane Helene and collectively lost $30 million or more.

Dec 11, 2024

Frankenstein Trees: How Scientists Are Building Better Christmas Trees

WRAL
NC State researchers are revolutionizing Christmas tree farming with a $7.5M USDA grant, using genetics to create climate-resistant Fraser firs. Dubbed "Frankenstein trees," grafting techniques and rapid cloning aim to protect North Carolina’s iconic industry from pests, disease, and climate change.

Dec 10, 2024

Mecklenburg County Pursues State Funding For Invasive Species Research

Queen City News
“If anyone has been to Great Smoky Mountains National Park in the last decade or two, they’ve probably noticed the massive amounts of dead trees on the landscape,” said Kelly Oten, professor and Extension specialist at NC State University. “Those are all hemlock that have been killed by the adelgid.”

Dec 10, 2024

McDowell County Wildfire That Grew To More Than 500 Acres, Now Fully Contained

The Asheville Citizen Times
Joseph Roise, a professor of forestry and operation research at NC State, told the Citizen Times Dec. 9, damage to area roadways, which could hinder response by fire crews, paired with storm debris and dry conditions, greatly increases wildfire risk during the fall wildfire season.

Dec 6, 2024

Erin Seekamp to Co-Lead Climate and Sustainability Academy

NC State has launched a new Climate and Sustainability Academy to unite faculty, students and staff to promote sustainable and resilient solutions to climate and other global challenges.

Dec 5, 2024

Can We Save Christmas (Trees)?

WUNC
From the White House to your living room, North Carolina’s iconic Fraser fir is the most popular Christmas tree in America. But this holiday season, something is threatening to wipe it out — and the $250 million dollar industry associated with it.

Dec 3, 2024

Grad Student Profile: Muhammad Ikbal Putera

As the first park ranger from Komodo National Park — and possibly the first from Indonesia’s Ministry of Forestry — to undertake this advanced degree, Ikbal aims to break barriers and inspire others.

Dec 3, 2024

The Race to Save the Fraser Fir, a Popular Christmas Tree

WGBH
"We’re really digging into the question of what happens when the Phytophthora starts to infect Fraser fir," said Justin Whitehill, director of the Christmas Tree Genetics Program at NC State.

Dec 3, 2024

Did City of Conway Buy A Hurricane-Ravaged Tree From NC For Its Holiday? What We Know

Myrtle Beach Sun News
In late September, strong winds and catastrophic flooding from Hurricane Helene caused destruction in Western North Carolina. Some Christmas tree farms experienced damage due to landslides, according to North Carolina State University.

Dec 2, 2024

Natural Resources Professors Named Goodnight Early Career Innovators

Justin Whitehill and Kelly Oten, both professors of forestry and environmental resources, are among the 25 NC State faculty to be named to the 2024-25 class of Goodnight Early Career Innovators.