Rena Johnson selected as 2016 photography fellow

National Association of State Foresters Foundation project will help tell the story of America’s forests.

WASHINGTON—Rena Johnson of Hiawassee, Georgia, has been selected as the 2016 National Association of State Foresters (NASF) Foundation photography fellow.

Selected from among nearly 50 applicants, Johnson will document the forests of Wisconsin and Georgia to help illustrate the benefits that forests provide to all people: clean air and water, wildlife habitat, forest products, jobs and more ecosystem services.

Johnson is the fourth photography fellow to be sponsored by the NASF Foundation. Past photographers are Josh Birnbaum (2011), Joel Prince (2013) and Leslie Robertson (2014).

The 2016 fellowship will kick off in Wisconsin on May 9 and will be hosted by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources—Division of Forestry.

“Photographs are a wonderful way to showcase the ecological, economic and social benefits we derive from the sustainable management of Wisconsin’s 17 million acres of forests,” said Paul DeLong, Wisconsin State Forester and president of the National Association of State Foresters.

Johnson will photograph the state’s scenic landscapes, recreational opportunities and state forestry agency staff working on the ground. She will also interface with private landowners and document best management practices for forestry. Learn more about the forests of Wisconsin at http://stateforesters.org/districts/wisconsin/.

Johnson will conclude the fellowship this month in her home state of Georgia by working with the Georgia Forestry Commission.

“We are thrilled to have Rena join us here in Georgia. Her talent is undeniable, and we are excited to have her document the vast and diverse forests and forestry community in our state,” said Robert Farris, Georgia State Forester and Chair of the Southern Group of State Foresters.

In Georgia, Johnson will photograph the community forests of Savannah, work by the Commission’s Forest Inventory and Analysis foresters, Okefenokee Swamp, a sawmill and many more sites around the state. Learn more about the forests of Georgia at https://www.stateforesters.org/districts/georgia.

NASF and its partners look forward to working with Johnson to tell the story of our nation’s forests.

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