Extension
Bringing forest science into the community through youth education, field demonstrations, professional training, and practical tools for forest management.
Youth learning through discovery
4-H Forest Ecology Clinic & Contest
Each year, young people from across Florida come to UF to explore forests and put their knowledge into practice. The fall clinic helps participants build skills and prepare for the spring contest, which brings more than 100 youth to UF.
SilvaLab has supported the program since 2021. Our team runs six stations that connect forest ecology and management with practical measurement skills and new sensing technologies.
Fall clinic
Learn from instructors, try field techniques, and practice with fellow participants.
Spring contest
Apply forestry knowledge and field skills through the annual competition.
Six SilvaLab stations
Map
Read maps and connect mapped features with the landscape.
Compass
Practice bearings and navigation in the field.
Tree Measurements
Explore how foresters measure trees and estimate their size.
Forest Ecosystem
Discover connections among trees, wildlife, soils, and the environment.
Forest Management
Consider how management decisions shape healthy, productive forests.
LiDAR
Experience laser scanning and discover how point clouds reveal forest structure.
Explore Florida 4-H Forest Ecology →
Discovering LiDAR
At the LiDAR station, youth encounter technology used in forest research. Hands-on demonstrations introduce laser scanning and show how scientists can study trees and forests in three dimensions.
Connecting research with practice
Our extension work supports forest landowners, consulting foresters, industry, public agencies, and researchers in applying remote sensing, forest measurements, and artificial intelligence.
Field tours and practical training
Demonstrations, group workshops, in-service training, and individual consultations connect new methods with real management questions. Activities at research and demonstration sites introduce LiDAR data collection, tree measurements, and analysis of forest resources.
Stakeholder workshops
The 2024 RapidFEM4D workshop engaged more than 80 stakeholders worldwide in using remote sensing to assess hurricane impacts on forests. Training also includes LiDAR data processing: a 2021 Brazilian Remote Sensing Symposium workshop on rGEDI reached more than 500 participants.
Supporting forest professionals
Technical exchanges with landowners, forest companies, agencies, and professional associations address forest inventory, plant phenotyping, timber volume estimation, and fuel mapping. Presentations and consultations help connect emerging tools with operational needs.
Open tools and learning resources
Open-source software, online tutorials, and the Web-LiDAR community extend access to forest sensing methods beyond individual events. These resources support students, scientists, and practitioners working with LiDAR data.
Explore SilvaLab tools → · Join the Web-LiDAR community →
Connect with SilvaLab
Interested in a demonstration, training opportunity, or collaboration? Contact our team to discuss your interests.
