Georgia Forestry Foundation

08/31/2026

🚧 Mass Timber construction has begun for 2025 Georgia Mass Timber Accelerator team ! 🌲

Chattahoochee Nature Center's new Welcome Center will provide a glimpse into the vast variety of products that Georgia's 22million acres of privately-owned working forests provide. Congrats to the CNC and their dedicated team!

To learn more about the Georgia Mass Timber Collective and other Accelerator projects around the state, click the link in our bio or visit georgiamasstimber.org

WoodWorks U.S. Forest Service University of Georgia Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resourcesll

08/18/2026

The 2026 GFF Forestry Teacher of the Year award goes to Les Bateson of Wheeler County High School in Alamo, GA. 👏🏆🌲

This award, sponsored by Huber Engineered Woods, recognizes the accomplishments of educators who demonstrate an outstanding commitment to forestry education.

Mr. Bateson has built a forestry program at Wheeler County High School that gives students hands-on experience in tree identification, forest measurement, reforestation, prescribed burning and timber stand improvement by working with partners like the Georgia Forestry Commission. Several of his students have gone on to careers in forestry. Mr. Bateson was honored at the GFA Annual Conference held this past July in Jekyll Island.

Click the link below👇 to learn more about Les Bateson and previous Georgia Forestry Teacher of the Year recipients.

https://gffgrow.org/2026-georgia-forestry-teacher-of-the-year/

07/04/2026

Georgia's forestry industry has been growing, manufacturing, and providing families with forest products for more than a century. From the paper we use to the homes we live in, GFF is grateful for the rights our private landowners and supply chain businesses have as citizens.

Happy 250th to the United States of America! May we continue to grow and cherish this land together!

07/01/2026

JOIN US to learn about our FREE EOPA - Forest Worker Certification!

GFF + ForestryWorks will review our FREE End-of-Pathway Assessment at this summer's GVATA Summer Conference

🗓️ Monday, July 12 - 2-3pm

📍 GVATA Summer Conference in Athens

✏️ SIGN UP with GVATA Conference administration

Students across Georgia can now access certification exams aligned with the following six forestry-related pathways:

» Forestry Management Systems

» Forest Mechanical Systems

» Forest/Natural Resources Management

» Forest/Renewable Energy

» Forest/Wildlife Systems

» Agriculture Leadership in Forestry

School districts gain access to:

» Fully virtual testing platform

» Student certification management

» Teacher support and direct communications

Join us as we review this exciting initiative that will help create a direct pipelineto the wide variety of meaningful careers in Georgia’s forestry industry.

Georgia Agricultural Education ForestryWorks

06/30/2026

Did you know Georgia loses more than 130,000 acres of forest each year to development and other non-forest uses? We’re hiring a Conservation Outreach Specialist to work directly with landowners, connect them with resources and support the long-term stewardship of Georgia’s forests.

If you or someone you know has experience in forestry, conservation or landowner outreach, we’d love to hear from you.



Learn more and apply at https://gfagrow.org/conservation-and-innovation/

06/30/2026

Georgia's forests have always been at the heart of our state's economy. We're hiring a Director of Forest Markets to help lead the way. This person will connect researchers, investors, and businesses around the future of forest-based manufacturing right here in Georgia. If you have a background in economic development, investment, or market development, we’d love to hear from you.



Learn more and apply at https://gfagrow.org/conservation-and-innovation/

06/29/2026

Have you donated to GFA’s Live & Silent Auction yet?

Here’s why you should! Your contribution will:

🌲 Directly support forestry education and market-based initiatives

📢 Showcase your business to more than 700 industry professionals

💲 Motivate bidders to join the fun (YOU can bid in the auction too!)

🗓️ ITEM SUBMISSION DEADLINE: July 20, 2026

📧 HOW TO DONATE: Email Glo Camacho - [email protected]

🎁 WHAT TO DONATE?

» Exclusive Experiences: Recreation, VIP tours, vacation rentals

» Premium Gear: Guns, knives, golf & outdoor equipment

» Sports & Entertainment: Autographed memorabilia, event tickets

» Unique Art & Handcrafted Items: Woodwork, jewelry, local art

» Gift Certificates: Retail, restaurants, hotels (one year expiration)

⭐ Big-ticket items ($1,000+) may be featured in the Live Auction during Saturday’s Awards Banquet!

To JOIN US at the auction, REGISTER today for GFA's Annual Conference 👉 link in our bio or visit gfagrow.org/annualconference

Project Learning Tree Georgia Teacher Conservation Workshop

06/26/2026

🌲 GFF + Mass Timber debut @ PELICE 2026 👀

The Panel & Engineered Lumber International Conference & Expo (PELICE) was held in Atlanta this past April, and GFF's Matt Hestad caught up with Derek Ratchford, CEO of SmartLam, to talk about what's happening right now in Georgia and the Southeast.

For Ratchford, the Southeast isn't just a market. It's where the fiber is. Where the demand is, and where the future of mass timber is being built.

Join the conversation on Mass Timber at georgiamasstimber.org



SmartLam Panel & Engineered Lumber International Conference & Expo

06/18/2026

Join us next week for our new quarterly 'Office Hours' — an informal, one-hour virtual session where landowners can drop in, ask questions, connect with the Landowner Outreach team, and hear updates on upcoming programs and events in their region.

No agenda. No presentations. Direct access to the people and resources available to help you make the most of your land.

Learn more:

This month, we’re launching quarterly Office Hours—an informal, one-hour virtual session where landowners can drop in, ask questions, connect with the Landowner Outreach team, and hear updates on…

06/03/2026

JOIN US for the Live & Silent Auction again this year at GFA's Annual Conference in Jekyll Island - July 24-26!

WHY THIS MATTERS: This event helps generate support for forestry-focused environmental education, policy-supporting research, and market-based initiatives through the Georgia Forestry Foundation. Each donation directly supports GFF’s work on the ground - helping us connect communities across the state to one of Georgia's leading industries.

SHOWCASE YOUR SUPPORT: By participating in the auction, you can help strengthen our mission while promoting your business to 700+ industry leaders at the same time!

🗓️ SUBMISSION DEADLINE: July 20, 2026
📧 HOW TO DONATE: Email Glo Camacho - [email protected]
🎁 WHAT TO DONATE?

» Exclusive Experiences: Hunting & fishing trips, VIP tours, vacation rentals
» Premium Gear: Guns, knives, golf & outdoor equipment
» Sports & Entertainment: Autographed memorabilia, event tickets
» Unique Art & Handcrafted Items: Woodwork, jewelry, locally made art
» Gift Certificates: Retail, restaurants, hotels (suggested expiration of at least one year)

⭐Big-ticket items ($1,000+) may be featured in the Live Auction during Saturday’s Awards Banquet!

To learn more about the GFA Annual Conference, click the link in our bio or visit gfagrow.org/annualconference