Whether you own woodland property or simply have an interest in forestry, this hands-on course provides practical knowledge for managing Arkansas's forests. Topics include chainsaw safety, edible plants and mushrooms, basic forest management, evaluating standing timber, timber sale contracts, and woodland stewardship. Participants will also complete the two-day Qualified Prescribed Burner (QPB) Course, which combines classroom instruction with a live prescribed burn demonstration. Students who successfully complete the course requirements and pass the certification exam will become certified Qualified Prescribed Burners, allowing them to legally conduct prescribed burns in accordance with Arkansas regulations.

Class Details: 

The class begins Tuesday, September 8, from 6 PM - 8 PM and meets every Tuesday through November 10. A controlled prescribed burn will be conducted at the University of Arkansas Livestock & Forestry Station on Saturday, November 7. Additional class details will be provided by the instructors during your class. Unless otherwise noted, classes will be held at the UACCB Gateway Center, room 1412, at 2210 E. Main St. Batesville, AR. 

Class Instructors: 

Michael McGowan is the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture System Forest Manager and a Registered Forester (#1494) with more than 25 years of forestry experience. Since joining the University of Arkansas in 2007, he has managed approximately 20,000 acres of forestland while coordinating forestry and natural resources research across multiple experiment stations. Michael's expertise spans forest management, timber operations, agricultural technology, emerging applications of artificial intelligence in forestry, and is a licensed drone pilot. 

Daniel Greenfield is a Private Lands Biologist with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, where he has worked for 23 years after earning a bachelor's degree in Fisheries and Wildlife Biology from Arkansas Tech University in 2004. Since 2011, he has helped private landowners across five counties improve wildlife habitat through sound land management practices. Daniel has extensive experience teaching landowners how to safely and effectively use prescribed fire as a valuable wildlife and land management tool.

Jacob Hackman is the Assistant Professor at the Forestry Management & Forestry Extension of the University of Arkansas. Jacob has spent more than 10 years studying fungal and forest ecosystems, with research focused on the hidden underground interactions between fungi and trees. He earned a bachelor's degree in Crop Science and a master's degree in Plant Pathology from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. In 2023, he completed his Ph.D. in Forestry and Environmental Resources at North Carolina State University. His expertise brings a strong scientific foundation in forest ecology, plant health, and fungal biology. 

This training is made possible through a partnership between the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, and UACCB.