By Meredith Coffey, student news writer

CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. - Dr. Thomas G. Barnes, the Kentucky State Extension Wildlife Specialist and associate extension professor of forestry at the University of Kentucky, will be presenting a program in Campbellsville University's Little Auditorium Friday, April 4 at 2 p.m.
Barnes will speak on “Rare Plant Conservation and Kentucky's Last Great Places” during the presentation, which is free and open to the public.

There will be a reception and book signing in room 215 of the Science Building prior to the event, which is being sponsored by the Campbellsville University biology department.

Barnes holds his doctorate in wildlife and fisheries sciences from Texas A&M University, a master of science in wildlife and fisheries sciences from South Dakota State University and a bachelor of arts from Huron College in South Dakota.

Barnes is an internationally published, award-winning author and photographer, and he has been on the Department of Forestry faculty at UK for 20 years. He has published more than 35 research papers, 48 extension publications and more than 60 regional and national magazine articles.

Along with his many other publications, he is the author and photographer for the regional best-selling and Kentucky Literary Award-nominated book “Kentucky's Last Great Places”, and also the books “Gardening For The Birds” and “The Wildflowers and Ferns of Kentucky”.

Barnes has received abundant awards including Outstanding New Extension Specialist, the M.D. Whitaker Award for Outstanding Extension Specialists, the First Annual Kentucky Biodiversity Award, Outstanding Volunteer for the Kentucky Chapter of The Nature Conservancy and The Enrichment Award for the Garden Clubs of Kentucky.

His photographs have also been used in books, calendars, magazines, Web sites and for corporate uses throughout the world.

Campbellsville University is a private, comprehensive institution located in South Central Kentucky. Founded in 1906, Campbellsville University is affiliated with the Kentucky Baptist Convention and has an enrollment of 2,405 students who represent 98 Kentucky counties, 25 states and 29 foreign nations. Listed in U.S.News & World Report's 2008 “America's Best Colleges,” CU is ranked 22nd in “Best Baccalaureate Colleges” in the South and eighth in the South for “Great Schools, Great Prices.” CU has been ranked 15 consecutive years with U.S.News & World Report. The university has also been named to America's Best Christian Colleges®. Campbellsville University is located 82 miles southwest of Lexington, Ky., and 80 miles southeast of Louisville, Ky. Dr. Michael V. Carter is in his ninth year as president.