What is a Tree Husker?
While strange to some, the Great Plains state of Nebraska has a rich history of forestry. In 1895, the Nebraska legislature passed a bill for the state to officially be known as "The Tree Planters" due to the enormous effort of early Nebraskans to plant millions of trees and the creation of Arbor Day by J. Sterling Morton in 1872 (1). The University of Nebraska - Lincoln first established a Forestry Department and forestry degree in 1903 under Dr. Charles Bessey who hired Dr. Frank Miller as the Head of the Department of Forestry. However, the program & department were discontinued in 1915 – although education and research in windbreaks and shelterbelts continued. The Nebraska Forest Service has also continued to work with land owners and forests throughout Nebraska (“The Great Undertaking: The Unique History of the Nebraska Forest Service” by Tony Foreman). It wasn't until 1945, that the Nebraska legislature changed the state name to "Cornhuskers" in reference to the University football team.
One-hundred years after the forestry department was closed, the Nebraska Forest Service and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, School of Natural Resources received US Forest Service funds to begin development of a new forestry undergraduate program to prepare a future generation of students to study forestry concerns in natural, rural, and urban communities. In April 2017, Dr. Eric North joined the School of Natural Resources to develop forestry courses and a Bachelor of Science degree in forestry. Shortly after arriving to the University of Nebraska - Lincoln, Dr. North started referring to his students as Tree Huskers (2) to honor the rich history of trees and agriculture - also the pun on "Tree Huggers" didn't hurt. On December 5, 2019, the Nebraska University Board of Regents voted to approve the undergraduate degree in Regional and Community Forestry and on February 5, 2020 the Nebraska Coordinating Commission for Post-secondary Education unanimously approved the program.
For more information on getting your Tree Husker degree visit trees.unl.edu.
One-hundred years after the forestry department was closed, the Nebraska Forest Service and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, School of Natural Resources received US Forest Service funds to begin development of a new forestry undergraduate program to prepare a future generation of students to study forestry concerns in natural, rural, and urban communities. In April 2017, Dr. Eric North joined the School of Natural Resources to develop forestry courses and a Bachelor of Science degree in forestry. Shortly after arriving to the University of Nebraska - Lincoln, Dr. North started referring to his students as Tree Huskers (2) to honor the rich history of trees and agriculture - also the pun on "Tree Huggers" didn't hurt. On December 5, 2019, the Nebraska University Board of Regents voted to approve the undergraduate degree in Regional and Community Forestry and on February 5, 2020 the Nebraska Coordinating Commission for Post-secondary Education unanimously approved the program.
For more information on getting your Tree Husker degree visit trees.unl.edu.
|
|
|
