News Filed Under Natural Resources

RAYMOND, Miss. -- As drought takes its toll on Mississippi’s trees, foresters encourage landowners and homeowners to be on the lookout for pine bark beetles as spring arrives.

HOLLY SPRINGS, Miss. -- The Mississippi State University Extension Service will offer free bacteria screenings for private water well owners in Marshall County during an upcoming free program.

BILOXI, Miss. -- Many cattle producers in Mississippi like Bobby Jones do not have access to a dedicated large-animal veterinarian.

This was one of the many needs voiced during the 2024 Producer Advisory Council meeting on Jan. 25 at the Mississippi State University Coastal Research and Extension Center in Biloxi. The annual meeting serves as a forum for agricultural producers to discuss their needs with university administrators, researchers, specialists and Extension agents.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- “Where are all the ducks?” It’s a question James Callicutt fields with more frequency and urgency from hunters and birders in Mississippi by the year.

Callicutt, a Mississippi State University Extension Service instructor specializing in waterfowl and wetlands ecology, said aerial waterfowl survey data show duck abundance in the southeastern U.S. is well below average.

You may know Extension for it's strong connection to agriculture and the 4-H youth development program. But Extension offers much more. Get a glimpse of the wide range of programs and services our organization provides.

PICAYUNE, Miss. -- Fans of The History Channel’s “Forged in Fire” can see season-six champion Seth Borries demonstrating his skills in person during Forge Day at The Crosby Arboretum. Forge Day will be held Jan. 27 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Picayune. This family-friendly event highlights the historic and modern uses of the forge.

Mississippi growers and those across the Midwest and mid-South still have time to take advantage of two opportunities to improve soil health and water quality while protecting profitability on their farms.

RAYMOND, Miss. -- Mississippi’s 2023 timber harvest is expected to set a record for the 21st century. “We are on pace to exceed 36 million tons of timber harvested, which would be the highest level we have experienced this century, surpassing the previous high set in 2005 prior to the Great Recession,” said Eric McConnell, an associate professor of forest business at Mississippi State University. The increased harvest helped Mississippi’s forestry industry remain in third place among the state’s agricultural commodities, with an estimated production value of $1.5 billion. That is a 9.6% increase from 2022.

When you think about the holidays, all the food, gifts, holiday décor, and gatherings with friends and family likely come to mind. What you may not think about is how much garbage we create during this season. Check out these tips that can help you recycle this holiday season.

We’ve reached the end of our yearlong series that introduced you to some of Mississippi’s birds! We hope these blog posts have helped you identify and learn more about our feathered friends.

Although few consider what makes it possible to turn on the tap at home and get abundant, clean water, there is an entire critical infrastructure operating smoothly to make that happen.

Many birds aren’t as easy to identify as red-headed woodpeckers. With their bright red head and neck feathers and loud pecking noise, they surely know how to make their presence known!

Want your feathered friends to have a supplemental source of food this winter? Set out a bird feeder for them. There are many types of bird feeders, but they are not all created equal. Check out the common types of feeders and decide which ones will work best in your yard.

RAYMOND, Miss. -- The Piney Woods Heritage Festival will be held at the Mississippi State University Crosby Arboretum Nov. 4 to celebrate the region’s heritage. The 21st annual event offers various displays and demonstrations for the public. The event begins at 10 a.m. and ends at 2 p.m.

Some Mississippi landowners selling carbon offsets through a company geared to smaller tracts of land have lost that source of income this year.
Curtis VanderSchaaf, a forester with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said the one-year harvest deferral program previously offered by the Natural Capital Exchange, or NCX, has ended.

September tends to mark the end of summer, and our thoughts drift toward cooler weather activities such as fall gardening, football and hunting.

In the world of birds, fall marks the time for many to begin their migration. Most species of birds migrate to some extent, but as renowned waterfowl biologist Frank Bellrose said, “Waterfowl are highly visible in migration; they epitomize this phenomenon for most people.”

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Loggers, foresters, wildlife professionals, trade classes and families were well represented at the biannual Mid-South Forestry Equipment Show on Sept. 22 and 23. Activities, held at Mississippi State University’s John W. Starr Memorial Forest, attracted a range of audiences, all interested in forests, trees and the equipment used to hew them down.

The tufted titmouse is a bird you’ve likely seen in parks, woodlands, and in your back yard. They’re native to the eastern parts of the United States and are attracted to areas where there is an abundance of broadleaf trees, such as oaks, hickories, and maples. 

PICAYUNE, Miss. -- School groups, nature enthusiasts and the public can enjoy two fun-filled days of exciting, hands-on learning about the environment, ecosystems, wildlife and insects at the Mississippi State University Crosby Arboretum in Picayune. BugFest offers insect-related displays, interactive exhibits, games and crafts. Biologists, naturalists, entomologists and other experts from Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama will host booths and give presentations on butterflies, bats, caterpillars, beetles, crayfish, ladybugs, hissing cockroaches, dancing praying mantises, native and exotic arthropods and more.