Forests are central to Kentucky’s economic and ecological wellbeing. The state is 47% forested with over 12 million acres of woodlands and, collectively, the forest sector contributes over $13.5 billion annually to the state’s economy including over 60,398 jobs.  The vast majority of woodlands in the state are family owned.  Supporting these woodland owners is key and Extension specialists and county agents across the state, partnering with agencies like Kentucky Division of Forestry as well as consulting foresters, field a range of questions from the public and try to best equip landowners to successfully manage their woods.  

Traditionally this has happened largely through in-person Extension programming and connections.  However, in light of changing landowner demographics, increased social media use, and the increased need for delivering information remotely, we maintain a range of social media accounts to fill this gap and provide key information related to forestry and natural resources.  These include:

• KY Forest Health Facebook Page: Started in 2019, the page has grown each year, attracting over 2,011 followers.  This is a large increase from one year ago when the page had 622 page likes. Audience includes a range of county agents, woodland owners, and natural resource professionals across the state and beyond. Approximate reach over the past year is 44,574 people. We post approximately daily about topics ranging from invasive species to tree health to sustainable management. Analytics suggest demographics of Facebook page followers include a broad range of ages (25-65+) with more women (65%) than men (35%).
• KY Forest Health Instagram Account: Started in 2020, this account has 432 followers that represent a range of landowners, natural resource professionals, and members of the public.  Posts on this account (67 total) are photo-based and typically include visual stories illustrating various forest health issues like new invasive plants or tree issues popping up.  Analytics suggest demographics of Instagram account followers is largely 35–44-year-olds with a relatively even split of men and women.
• KY Forest Health TikTok Account: In 2021 we started a TikTok account and are currently experimenting with the platform to better understand its strengths and limitations.  We have created and posted 9 videos with 3,433 views total on a range of topics including invasive insects, invasive plants, and general forestry.  While early, preliminary analytics suggest different demographics on TikTok compared to other social media platforms (younger and more women).

These social media accounts have increased public awareness of key forest health threats and resources to learn more. In addition, they have drawn in new people not reached by traditional extension programing and connected them to other Extension opportunities (for example, direct messages about issues as they arise and new people attending and engaging in trainings).