Where Knowledge Takes Root
Field Days Bring Landowners into the Woods —and Let the Land Do the Teaching
Summer 2026
By John Casey
Mary Persons High School FFA
students get hands-on with a drip torch.
The smoke drifted low through the hardwoods near Summerville as fire crept across the forest floor, and the landowners gathered close to watch. One stepped forward, drip torch in hand, to put fire on the ground for the first time. It was the kind of moment — equal parts instruction and revelation — that no classroom can replicate, and it was exactly what the Georgia ForestryAssociation (GFA) had in mind.
This spring, GFA and the Georgia Forestry Foundation carried that approach across the state, hosting four Landowner Field Days — in Butler, Culloden, Summerville and Alapaha — as a part of a grant-funded initiative through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Each was built on a simple premise: the best forestry lessons are learned standing in the woods
Katie Owens of The Nature Conservancy discusses
Montane Longleaf.
Sessions ranged from estate planning and timber markets to longleaf restoration, carbon markets, prescribed fire and wildlife habitat, with experts and fellow landowners trading knowledge under the canopy. At Culloden, a drone lifted off to demonstrate prescribed fire from the air; at Summerville, the “Learn and Burn” put torches in attendees’ hands; and across all the events, land-owners came away with new tools in their toolkit for managing their work-ing forests.
For Mike Harrison, a landowner who has spent years attending field days, the value is personal.
“My goal is always to bring something home,” he said — “maybe a gate design, a wildlife food plot idea, or a new way to treat invasive species. The highlight for me is always the field course, where we get to see new and innovative practices. Each field day is unique. No two proper-ties are the same.
”A drone-burning demonstration stood out for him: “You get a bird’s-eye view of the whole concept. It’s the best place in the state to see prescribed fire firsthand.”
For Mike Harrison, a landowner who has spent years attending field days, the value is personal.
“My goal is always to bring something home,” he said — “maybe a gate design, a wildlife food plot idea, or a new way to treat invasive species. The highlight for me is always the field course, where we get to see new and innovative practices. Each field day is unique. No two proper-ties are the same.
”A drone-burning demonstration stood out for him: “You get a bird’s-eye view of the whole concept. It’s the best place in the state to see prescribed fire firsthand.”
"The biggest chance for landowners to network, with other landowners but also with the foresters and contractors who can help them reach their objectives.” — Troy Clymer, Forest Management Chief, GFC
Heather Brasell, national and state Tree Farmer of the Year, hosted the Alapaha event on her land — examining.
pollinator insects
That spark — one idea carried back to the property — is the whole point, said Troy Clymer, forest management chief at the Georgia Forestry Commission.
“The biggest benefit is the chance for landowners to network, with other land-owners but also with the foresters and contractors who can help them reach their objectives,” he said. “An actively man-aged forest is a healthy forest. Landowners leave it in better shape than they found it, ready to hand to the next generation.
”The events draw partners from across the conservation community. Biologist Justin Smallwood of Quail Forever, who helped lead the day in Summerville, said the goal is to make management feel within reach.
“Whether you want quail back or healthy populations of deer and turkey, those goals are achievable — it usually just takes a little management,” he said. “The big thing is, you’re not alone. There are so many people willing to help. All you have to do is reach out.
”For GFA’s landowner outreach coordinators, that sense of connection is the mission.
“We want to meet landowners where they are on the ground, with the people who can actually help them reach their goals,” said Ansley Whitley, one of those coordinators. “When someone leaves with one new idea and a name to call, that’s a win.
“The biggest benefit is the chance for landowners to network, with other land-owners but also with the foresters and contractors who can help them reach their objectives,” he said. “An actively man-aged forest is a healthy forest. Landowners leave it in better shape than they found it, ready to hand to the next generation.
”The events draw partners from across the conservation community. Biologist Justin Smallwood of Quail Forever, who helped lead the day in Summerville, said the goal is to make management feel within reach.
“Whether you want quail back or healthy populations of deer and turkey, those goals are achievable — it usually just takes a little management,” he said. “The big thing is, you’re not alone. There are so many people willing to help. All you have to do is reach out.
”For GFA’s landowner outreach coordinators, that sense of connection is the mission.
“We want to meet landowners where they are on the ground, with the people who can actually help them reach their goals,” said Ansley Whitley, one of those coordinators. “When someone leaves with one new idea and a name to call, that’s a win.
Heather Brasell,
national and state
Tree Farmer of
the Year, talking
prescribed fire.
”Senior Landowner Outreach Coordinator Mike Harrell pointed to the depth of expertise each event gathers. “Researchers, foresters, agency partners, all standing in the same forest as the landowner,” he said. “Those one-on-one conversations are where the real learning happens.
”With more than 22 million acres of forestland across Georgia, the vast majority of it in private hands, those conversations carry weight far beyond a single property line. When landowners succeed, Georgia’s forests succeed — and with each field day, that momentum keeps building toward the next stand of trees, and the next.■
John Casey is a strategic communications and public affairs professional advising clients across the nation. In his downtime, John can be found hunting and fishing at his home on his family’s centennial farm in Northwest Georgia.
”With more than 22 million acres of forestland across Georgia, the vast majority of it in private hands, those conversations carry weight far beyond a single property line. When landowners succeed, Georgia’s forests succeed — and with each field day, that momentum keeps building toward the next stand of trees, and the next.■
John Casey is a strategic communications and public affairs professional advising clients across the nation. In his downtime, John can be found hunting and fishing at his home on his family’s centennial farm in Northwest Georgia.
|
Georgia Forestry Magazine is published by HL Strategy, an integrated marketing and communications firm focused on our nation's biggest challenges and opportunities. Learn more at hlstrategy.com
|
|
|