STARKVILLE, Miss. -- The Wildlife Society’s latest group of fellowship inductees includes a member from Mississippi State University.

Daryl Jones, an MSU Extension professor in the MSU College of Forest Resources Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture, joined an international collective of professionals and faculty in wildlife conservation and management with his induction as a fellow in the society.

Founded in 1937, The Wildlife Society is an international network of more than 11,000 leaders in wildlife science, management and conservation dedicated to wildlife stewardship. Fellowship award criteria require at least 10 years of membership, active service at one of several levels and a professional record that includes significant contributions to wildlife resources.

Jones is the coordinator of MSU’s Natural Resource Enterprises Program, which provides information to landowners on sustainable property enterprises such as hunting, fishing and agritourism. Nearly 7,000 landowners have attended the program’s in-person events to improve wildlife and natural resources conservation and to diversify incomes on privately owned farms, forests, ranches and rural lands.

An estimated 1,400 new natural resource enterprises have been created as a result of this program. These businesses have earned more that $24 million in annual income. Due to landowner programming, conservation practices have been implemented on 2.5 million U.S. acres with more 3 million acres engaged in natural resource enterprises by landowner participants across 27 U.S. states.

Jones’ research background includes watershed conservation management, wetlands management, and fee-based wildlife and fisheries revenue production on private land. He coordinates the Extension Outdoors syndicated newspaper column with the MSU Extension Service Office of Agricultural Communications.

Jones was named Wildlife Conservationist of the Year by the Mississippi Wildlife Federation in 2017 and received The Wildlife Society Distinguished Service Award in 2013.

“Dr. Jones’ appointment to The Wildlife Society Fellows Program places him in the top tier of professors and professionals who have devoted their careers to wildlife conservation and management,” said MSU Extension Director Gary Jackson. “I am pleased to see him receive this well-deserved recognition.”