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media mentions

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.

Nov 20, 2024

The Coywolf Is Part Dog, Part Wolf, Part Coyote

Yahoo! News
Research conducted by North Carolina State University shows that basically all eastern coyotes in the country have some degree of hybridization in their genetic makeup.

Nov 16, 2024

Scientists Are Making Headway in Gene Editing to Unlock Critical Potential Within Trees

MSN
"One promising solution lies in harnessing trees to meet society's needs for chemicals, fuels and other bio-based products while safeguarding both the planet and human well-being," said NC State postdoctoral scholar Daniel Sulis.

Nov 15, 2024

Christmas Trees Are Welcome Relief After Tough Fall in Mountains

Triad Business Journal
“On a whole, there is going to be an adequate harvest,” said NC State Extension specialist Jamie Bookwalter. “There are definitely lots of trees to harvest this year. One of the main issues that we are seeing is that the road situation is tough. For farmers to navigate it, they have to get tractor-trailers there.”