BLACKSBURG, Va., Sept. 28, 2005 – Zone IV of The Garden Club of America has made Virginia Tech home for its recently established national urban forestry fellowship for qualified U.S. students. The first awards will be presented in early 2006.
With this fellowship, The Garden Club of America seeks to forward its goal of advancing knowledge of urban forests and increasing the number of scientists in the relatively new field of urban forestry. A selection committee from Virginia Tech’s Department of Forestry will include practicing urban forestry scientists to review applications with The Garden Club of America endorsing their final selection.
The fellowship is open to both advanced undergraduate and graduate students pursuing degrees in urban forestry, forestry, horticulture, environmental studies, or a closely related field at any four-year college or university degree program in the United States. Recipients must be U.S. students who will be enrolled as juniors, seniors, or graduate students during the fellowship period. The award is for $4,000 and recipients may apply for one additional year of funding.
For more information and online application forms, visit http://www.cnr.vt.edu/urbanforestry/scholarships.htm or contact Susan Day at gcaurbanforestry@vt.edu or (540) 231-7264. Application deadline is January 31.
The Garden Club of America strives to stimulate the knowledge and love of gardening, to share the advantages of association by means of educational meetings, conferences, correspondence and publications, and to restore, improve, and protect the quality of the environment through educational programs and action in the fields of conservation and civic improvement.
Virginia Tech’s Department of Forestry offers the undergraduate degree option in urban forestry, as well as graduate degrees. The College of Natural Resources at Virginia Tech consistently ranks among the top five programs of its kind in the nation. Faculty members stress both the technical and human elements of natural resources and instill in students a sense of stewardship and land-use ethics. Areas of study include environmental resource management, fisheries and wildlife sciences, forestry, geospatial and environmental analysis, natural resource recreation, urban forestry, wood science and forest products, geography, and international development.