2026 KWOA Annual Conference

Save the date!

October 19-21, 2026

Please mark your calendars and plan to join us for the upcoming Kentucky Woodland Owners Association (KWOA) Annual Conference to be held October 19–21, 2026, in Berea, Kentucky!

Conference activities will take place at the Berea College Forestry Outreach Center, 2047 Big Hill Road, Berea, KY 40403.

A block of rooms has been reserved for conference attendees for both Monday and Tuesday nights at the following locations:

Additional hotel booking details and conference registration information will be provided soon.

Please note that one day of the conference will include a field day in the woods, so attendees are encouraged to dress appropriately for outdoor conditions and walking on uneven terrain.

The KWOA General Meeting will begin on Tuesday morning.

We look forward to seeing you in Berea for an outstanding conference filled with fellowship, education, and woodland stewardship opportunities!

Berea has a strong claim to being the birthplace of forestry in Kentucky, but it is not considered the birthplace of forestry in the United States.

In 1898, Berea College established one of the first collegiate forestry programs in the South and one of the earliest in the nation.

Carl Alwin Schenck, one of America’s pioneering foresters, spent time at Berea and helped influence forestry education there.

Berea College also established a college-managed forest, now known as the Berea College Forest, which has been used for sustainable forest management, research, and education for well over a century.

Because of this history, Berea is often referred to as the birthplace of forestry in Kentucky.

If you’re thinking about the birthplace of American forestry, that distinction is usually given to:

Biltmore Forest School near Asheville, founded by Carl Alwin Schenck in 1898 on the Biltmore Estate. It is widely recognized as the first forestry school in the United States.

Given your involvement with the Kentucky Woodland Owners Association, Berea is a particularly fitting location for meetings because of its deep forestry heritage. Many Kentucky foresters consider it the historic center of forestry education in the Commonwealth.