Ponderings & Pictures by Patricia A. Whitener, Ph.D., Extension Associate I often feel a sense of gratitude as I follow a well-worn trail through the forest. Someone, or many someones, over many years, found the way before me. They read the land, marked the trees with blazes, and bridged the creek. And because of their […]
Clemson University Forest
A Biological Bomb: The Feral Hog Invasion
Retired Clemson professor and one of the first experts to publish on on wild hogs in North America, Dr. Gene Wood writes a blog for the CU Forest.
Photo by Dr. Erin Buchholtz
The Forest Is Calling and It Has a Lot to Show You
By Dr. Patricia A. Whitener Forest Fest returns to the Clemson University Forest on Saturday, March 28, 2026. Here’s why you don’t want to miss it. Hosted annually in the Clemson University North Forest, Forest Fest is a free, family-friendly day of exploration, discovery, and connection across one of the most remarkable living landscapes in […]
Why do I volunteer? The task of being connected
By Dr. Daniel Hanks Tired. Dirty. Thirsty. Hungry… Proud. Satisfied. Happy. Connected. Over the past several years, volunteering in the Clemson University Forest has become something deeper than an activity or a commitment—it has become part of the rhythm of my life. What began as time spent helping with trails gradually turned into a broader […]
What are Clemson University Forest Lands?
The Clemson University Forest is an extensive New Deal-era conservation project rising out of an era when many small farmers were transitioning from rural to urban life. Originally, the project was called the Land Use Project. Underlying the Clemson University Forest are these Land Use Lands with their roots in that conservation-focused period of American […]
Why do we burn parts of the CU Forest?
Why do foresters set the forest on fire? The answer is long and complicated – more so than we have space for in this blog. But there are some simple concepts we can discuss, and some resources for further reading. Bottom line is that Clemson University foresters burn parts of the CU Forest in order […]
Research in the CU Forest: Constant Creativity and Change
Since its inception the Clemson University Forest has been a magnet for faculty, staff, and students researching any number of topics. While the bulk of its research history has been in forestry, forest ecology, and wildlife biology, many other researchers have also been attracted to it. These researchers have come from almost every part of […]
Forest Recreation
The Clemson University Forest is a large natural area used by tens of thousands of visitors a year for birdwatching, hunting, hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding – and many other activities that bring joy, improve health, and develop a conservation-conscious community. This is all a good thing – part of Clemson’s Land Grant mission, and valuable […]
Elements of the CU Forest harvest program
One thing is certain and that is forests are in a constant state of change. Wind, fire, disease, floods – these are natural ecological processes that introduce change. Forest managers are trained foresters who participate in that change process. They make decisions about harvests of individual trees and tracts and their subsequent management that last […]
