Forsyth County's Impact
Making A Difference in Our County
University of Georgia Cooperative Extension is working hard for its constituents. The following are examples of Extension’s impact in the county over the past year.
4-H Youth Development
Enhancing Forestry Knowledge through 4-H Forestry Judging and One-on-One Instruction
Situation:
Georgia’s forests, spanning 24.5 million acres, contribute over $41 billion annually and support more than 140,000 jobs, making them an essential part of the state’s economy. To equip the next generation with the skills necessary for sustainable forest management, Georgia 4-H offers the annual Forestry Judging Contest. Through this competition, students from grades 4 through 12 learn to identify trees, pests, and diseases, as well as measure sawtimber volume and estimate distances using pacing. These skills are critical, given the economic impact of forest health and the diverse value of different tree species.
Response:
To enhance learning and provide more personalized instruction, Forsyth County Extension collaborated with Master Naturalist Extension Volunteers to support students in their contest preparation. With an 8:1 student-to-teacher ratio, individualized learning can be challenging. However, the introduction of one-on-one coaching allowed for tailored instruction, ensuring that students grasped fundamental concepts before advancing to more complex topics.
Results/Impacts:
This focused approach to teaching led to remarkable achievements. The Junior Team placed 2nd overall in the District Forestry Judging Competition, with individual team members excelling in various categories. The increased one-on-one instruction fostered a deeper understanding of forestry and contributed to the team’s success.
Agriculture and Natural Resources
Invasive species are estimated to cost the U.S. over $21 billion per year through negative impacts on agriculture, ecosystems, and human health. Nonnative, invasive Japanese stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum) has colonized large areas of Forsyth County parks. In response, the ANR agent trained volunteers and parks and recreation personnel in invasive plant identification, reporting, and management. Together these partners hosted four workshops in July 2025, providing community members with invasive plant education and participative removal of Japanese stiltgrass from four designated park sites. Collectively, the 58 Environmental Action Workshop participants cleared Japanese stiltgrass from over ½ acre of county park lands. Since training, individuals made 21 reports of Japanese stiltgrass in Forsyth County to the EDDMapS invasive plant reporting system, equaling the number of reports made from 2009-2024.
Forsyth County Extension Volunteers
On August 9, 2025, Forsyth County Extension hosted Wilderness Wonders Day, a free family festival in partnership with Forsyth County Parks and Recreation, at Sawnee Mountain Preserve. This event connected our community with the local environment. Eleven Extension Volunteers, representing Master Naturalists, Master Gardeners, and 4-H, planned activities and facilitated event logistics. During the event, they staffed activity tables on pollinators and invasive species, led tree identification walks, and distributed Extension materials. Throughout the day, volunteers contributed a total of 60 hours, valued at $1,958, and engaged an estimated 300 residents in interactive learning about local natural resources and ecosystems.