Michael Murphrey, Staff Forester, Texas Forest Service, Lufkin, Texas
As a forester, Michael Murphrey is involved with a range of forest management and ecology issues, as well as working to educate students, educators, and landowners. His current work involves increasing public awareness about southern pine beetle and invasive species, as well as conservation education. He has hosted workshops to train Citizen Scientists to identify and report invasive plants. He has made numerous contributions to PLT as a facilitator and fundraiser (for example, auctioning a specially cooked salmon dinner). He is considered one of the state’s top facilitators and has participated in at least 65 PLT events to date. He developed a program called Erosion in Motion to teach fourth and fifth graders about soil erosion prevention. He also has organized day-long forest awareness programs and community tree-planting events.
Michael was named National PLT Outstanding Educator Honoree in 2010.