Camp to Campus

Dorothy Mortimore’s journey to studying forestry at UGA began at 4-H camp. “This camp was a foundational opportunity to really explore my interests through in-depth learning and immersive activities. I built relationships with professors who cared about me and my interests, and 4-H helped me link my passions with my long-term college journey and career path.”

A poised and confident Dorothy Mortimore shared these words with nearly 400 4-H youth development professionals at the National 4-H Positive Youth Development Academy earlier this spring. Now a first-year student at the University of Georgia’s Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources (Warnell), Dorothy easily connects her college experience back to the Georgia 4-H Natural Resources Exploration Camp – an experience that shaped her academic and career goals.

Growing up in a family that loved visiting national parks and spending time outdoors, Dorothy naturally gravitated toward environmental-based 4-H projects, with Forestry Judging being her favorite competition. Through encouragement from her 4-H Agent, Lauren Boykin of Bulloch County, she applied for the first-ever Georgia 4-H Natural Resources Exploration Camp in 2023.

The week-long camp, offered through a partnership between Georgia 4-H and Warnell, immerses high school students in outdoor learning. Activities range from wildlife tracking and drone mapping to macroinvertebrate sampling and tree identification. “Being involved with so many hands-on opportunities gave me such a great perspective on what professionals actually do in the field,” Dorothy explained. “From gathering data, interpreting and analyzing it, then using those findings to educate others, I really got an all-encompassing experience.”

“Another highlight for me was studying aquatic turtles in Rock Eagle Lake,” Dorothy said.” We measured shell size, weighed them, identified sex and species, and tagged them for future studies.”

Dorothy connected with Warnell faculty and staff who specialize in wildlife, fisheries, forestry, and environmental education. “Dr. Michel Kohl had a research project using wildlife cameras across Athens to study human-wildlife conflict,” she said. “He needed volunteers to help identify animals in the images, so I began working on the project while still in high school.” That direct experience showed her the importance of data collection and analysis in wildlife sciences.

Dr. Nick Fuhrman, known for his enthusiasm in life and work, inspired Dorothy to become a Rock Eagle 4-H Center camp counselor. She enjoyed teaching Forestry classes to young campers (pictured above). “It’s definitely a full-circle moment,” she said. “I got to learn more about the environment at 4-H camp, and now I get to help others do the same.”

Today, Dorothy sits in college classrooms taught by the same professors who once led her summer camp sessions. With gratitude, she reflects on the way 4-H bridged the gap from camp to campus, helping her transform curious sparks into a clear, confident path toward her thriving future.