media mentions

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 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

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.

Nov 30, 2024

Urban Biodiversity Is Not A Luxury — It Is Attainable For Everyone

Earth.com
Madhusudan Katti, an associate professor at NC State, noted that biodiversity in cities is not a luxury – it is something we can work to nurture.

Nov 27, 2024

County Educators Share Experience of Resiliency With Yancey County Teachers As They Recover From Hurricane Helene

Carteret County News-Times
Developed and piloted in Carteret County, “Ready, Set, Resilience” is the product of teachers and administrators from county middle schools, Duke University Marine lab students, faculty, and staff, and students and faculty from NC State’s Environmental Education Lab.

Nov 25, 2024

First Comes the Hurricane. Then Comes the Fire.

Heatmap
“What we expect from climate change is this layering of weather extremes creating really dangerous situations,” said Robert Scheller, a professor of forestry and environmental resources at NC State.

Nov 21, 2024

Goal is Frasers More Resistant to Climate Change

Wilkes Journal-Patriot
An NC State University program focused on developing Fraser fir Christmas trees better able to withstand threats related to climate change has been awarded a grant of nearly $7.5 million by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.