Natural Resource Education
Established with a landmark gift to Auburn University in 1978 by Martha and Solon Dixon, the Solon Dixon Forestry Education Center is a 5,300+ acre educational facility devoted to the study of forestry, wildlife, and natural resources management. Bordering the Conecuh River and National Forest in Covington and Escambia Counties near Andalusia, Ala, the Dixon Center functions as a living laboratory for hands-on, experiential learning for students, practitioners, and landowners to explore its diverse ecosystems and learn best practices from leaders in their field.
Experiential Learning
Solon Dixon valued experiential learning and aspired to promote excellence in forestry education by providing landowners, agencies, and students with a hands-on laboratory to develop and practice responsible forest management. With his donation of land, he envisioned a place for applied teaching and learning where people could see and experience the effects of management practices. With this in mind, the Dixon Center was developed to intermix traditional instruction, group interaction, and various property management features to create countless field opportunities for various user groups.
The Solon Dixon Forestry Education Center
Learning Experience
Campus
The Dixon Center campus is comprised of 5,430 acres of diverse habitats for outdoor experiences.
Classrooms
The Dixon Center offers a mix of traditional learning spaces and environments to accommodate various group sizes and needs.
Porches
The Dixon Center porches provide a relaxed, social space for groups and individuals to share knowledge and ideas.
Lodging
The Dixon Center offers two lodging experiences, bunkhouse and hotel-style, to accommodate teams and private groups.
Classrooms
The Dixon Center provides a variety of traditional-style classrooms to accommodate groups of various sizes.
Porches
The Dixon Center porches have traditionally served as “unofficial” classrooms, providing relaxed opportunities for socializing and sharing ideas.
The Campus
The Dixon Center’s 5,430 acres of diverse habitats provide abundant outdoor learning opportunities, which may be tailored to specialized group interests.
User Groups
Unique learning experiences lead to diverse users at the Dixon Center. The Dixon Center has successfully hosted diverse user groups, including but not limited to secondary education, colleges and universities, state and federal agencies, non-government organizations, nonprofits, private landowners, private industry, and special interest groups.