University of Tennessee School of Natural Resources

09/16/2026

ATTENTION:
We are cancelling the SNR tailgate ahead of the Kennesaw State game this weekend. We apologize for the inconvenience.

We plan to hold our next tailgate before the Alabama game, and we're partnering with the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture to host it! Stay tuned for details!

09/15/2026

A great day of talking partnerships, forestry and local economic development with Huber Engineered Woods! We had representatives from Huber, the Tennessee Forestry Association, the Tennessee Department of Agriculture Forestry division and the University of Tennessee School of Natural Resources in Spring City today.

09/09/2026

Michael Pelton, the UT professor emeritus and wildlife biologist who studied black bears for more than 30 years, passed away on Tuesday, Sept. 1.

Pelton joined the UT Forestry Department in 1968 as one of the two original wildlife faculty members. He planned to study cottontail rabbits, but that changed after the National Park Service called and asked him to study black bears in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

What started under Pelton led to one of the longest continuous studies of a bear population in the world. "I’m a strong proponent of long-term studies. It takes a long time to see how bears respond through the different seasons," Pelton told Our Tennessee in 2018. "Similar to humans in many ways, bears are the other intelligent omnivore."

Our faculty, staff, students, and alumni send our condolences to his family and loved ones.

Read about his time at UT: https://naturalresources.tennessee.edu/professor-emeritus-mike-pelton-known-for-his-groundbreaking-research-on-black-bears-dies-at-86/

Full obituary: https://www.henryfuneralhome.net/obituaries/dr-michael-pelton

University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture | UT AgResearch | Herbert College of Agriculture | Great Smoky Mountains National Park

09/09/2026

Congratulations to Dr. Craig Harper!!!

Honor has been awarded for Harper’s work on game species, prescribed fire and other land management techniques

09/08/2026

Forestry students spend the end of August and start of September at the Ames AgResearch and Education Center in West Tennessee for fall camp. Check out what they're learning!

09/08/2026

For this Step Outside episode, we’re looking back at the One Health in Agriculture and Natural Resources study abroad program in Japan! Hear from program leaders and students about the trip, and if you want to learn more about the program, visit the UTIA International Showcase this Thursday, September 10, from noon to 2 p.m. in ANR 101.

Thanks to (in order of appearance):
Shigetoshi Eda, SNR professor
Kyra Barrier, Herbert study abroad coordinator
Abigail Scott, senior in plant sciences
Michelle Hung, Smith Center graduate research assistant
Landon Smith, senior in animal science
Emery Nelson, senior in environmental and soil sciences

UT Institute of Agriculture
Herbert College Of Agriculture

09/04/2026

Congratulations!!

09/04/2026

It's almost football time in Tennessee, and that means more SNR Tailgates! Join our School before the Kennesaw State, Alabama, and LSU games this season. We'll set up in the flat, green space northwest of the Food Science Building. We'll announce more details closer to each game. All departments, alumni, friends, and family are welcome!

University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture | Herbert College of Agriculture | UT Extension | UT AgResearch

09/02/2026

Thank you to everyone who attended the second annual Outdoor Enthusiast Expo hosted by SNR, the Maryville College Division of Health Sciences and Outdoor Studies, and Mountain Challenge! More than 240 people came to the Maryville College campus over Friday and Saturday, including presenters and vendors. People enjoyed a free concert and bat hike on Friday night and various outdoor activities like hunting, fishing, kayaking, and hiking on Saturday.

"Another great Expo. The University of Tennessee is a great partner for this event, and while this is meant for our community, I love how much I get from meeting the folks involved and the local businesses and nonprofits that come to support the programming," Tyson Murphy, director of Mountain Challenge at Maryville College, says.

We’re grateful to all the attendees, instructors, vendors, and sponsors who helped create a welcoming environment for people to learn, explore, and celebrate the outdoors!

University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture | UT Extension | Tennessee Office of Outdoor Recreation

08/26/2026

Join us for the Outdoor Enthusiast Expo at Maryville College this weekend, August 28-29!

Learn more: utianews.tennessee.edu/outdoor-enthusiast-expo-bringing-people-under-one-tent-for-second-year