Warner College of Natural Resources
Our vision is to be the Global Leader in learning, discovery and engagement that guides natural resource conservation, sustainability and stewardship. |
About WCNR
College Overview
The Warner College of Natural Resources (WCNR) offers the most comprehensive natural resources program in the country with a focus on critical environmental management problems. We have a student body of 1,300 high-achieving and dedicated undergraduate and graduate students who are passionate about their education and their future careers in natural resources.
Our faculty and scientists are recognized worldwide for their innovative research that addresses society’s most pressing environmental issues. The college’s natural resources programs engage students in hands-on learning experiences based on the very latest scientific information. Many undergraduates have the opportunity to participate in internationally recognized college research programs.
Students are able to choose from seven majors, seven minors and 17 concentrations offered by four academic departments within the college. Classes are small enough to allow for discussion and personal interaction with professor and classmates. The classroom is extended to the outdoors and includes field experience in forests, parks and other natural areas. Students develop important skills in communication, problem-solving, critical thinking and teamwork and are exceptionally well-prepared for a lifelong career in natural resources.
The story of the College of Natural Resources is a story of people and passion. People who were and are passionately committed to the health and well-being of natural resources and sustaining their many diverse benefits to society. It is a story of a community of faculty, scientists, students, staff, alumni and partners who, for over 100 years, have lead in the development and application of the natural resource and environmental paradigms of the day.
The beginning of the 20th Century brought Giffort Pinchot’s ideas of conservation and wise use to a young, industrializing nation. The origins of the College of Natural Resources coincide with those of the conservation movement and in 1904, the first forestry course was offered to students. Over the next 100 years the College has grown to be the most comprehensive natural resources college in the country with academic, research and outreach programs in forest sciences, fisheries, wildlife and conservation biology, geosciences, geospatial sciences, human dimensions, rangeland ecology, recreation and tourism, watershed management and environmental sciences.
