END OF SEMESTER COOKOUT

This Thursday at 3:00 we will be having a cookout at the woodsmen's shed. 3:00 is when we start really setting up, and food will most likely be ready around 4:00. Any help with set-up is greatly appreciated. The back up location in case of inclement weather is the Sunrise Cafe. We'll see you guys there!

~Billy

Club hikes with Bob Pinkston

Here are a couple of the hikes That Bob has led our students on. Enjoy!

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Cold Mountain (aptly named on this particular hike!)
Photographers: Chris Holland and Jeremy Graves


Mount Hardy
Photographer: Shane Baker and Jeremy Graves

HAYWOOD ROCKS THE CRADLE!!!!!

A truly amazing day was had by all (HCC folk) yesterday at the Woodsmen's Meet held at the Cradle of Forestry. The Haywood team routed the competition scoring an incredible 164 points! Their closest competition was Penn State Mont Alto with 91 points, NC State came in at third with 63 points, and then Montgomery Community College at fourth with 40 points. Congrats Haywood! You all deserved this!

The Haywood Team
The Wise Old Owl roosts once more in its rightful HCC home

HCC Forestry Club President Jeremy Graves accepts the trophy for our win

Monday Meeting Minutes

Hey folks, here's what was discussed in the meeting along with some important dates.

1. THIS FRIDAY Sept. 18th: Team Captain Daniel Jones will be opening up the woodsmen shed at 13:00 for folks who are having trouble making it to practice after labs to come practice.
2. Saturday Sept. 19th: SAWA show in Oaksboro, NC. See a club officer or Jimmy Lawrence for more details.
3. Saturday Sept. 19th: Bob Pinkston will be leading a hike up Mt. Hardee. Interested parties should sign up using the sign up sheet on the Forestry Club bulletin board. We will be meeting in the parking lot of the old Wal-Mart at 9:00 AM.
4. CRADLE TRY OUTS!!!!!! Sign up sheets are located on the club bulletin board.
   

• Monday Sept. 21st: Axe Throw, Cross-cut, Chain Saw
• Tuesday Sept 22nd: Underhand, Standing Block, Single Buck
• Wednesday Sept 23rd: Pole Climb, Water Boil, Archery
• Thursday Sept 24th: Bolt Split, Make-ups for other events

We need everyone to be practicing as much as possible, and we will work with you to find a time that is workable with your schedules to achieve this. All areas need focus, but especially team events like log roll and pulp toss.

5. Saturday Sept. 26th: Mountain heritage day will be held at Western Carolina University.
6. Saturday Oct. 3rd: TIMBER SPORTS EVENT AT THE CRADLE OF FORESTRY!! Camping in the Pink Beds camping area will be available to HCC students on Thursday and Friday nights only. Another camping site will be available to those who want to camp Saturday night as well.

That's all I have folks!
~Bill

Last Week's Activities

Well, every activity was a success thanks to all Forestry Club and Woodsman Team members involved. I want to thank all of you for your efforts and your dedication. This year promises to be an AWESOME one for our clubs! Here are a few shots from the Wednesday demo and Cook out, Saturday's Jammin' on the Mill Pond, and Sunday's rafting trip. Enjoy!

~Billy

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Monday Meeting Minutes (alliteration is fun!)

We had an awesome turnout for the meeting today (thanks everyone!), and as promised, here are the subjects we covered that need to be remembered (dates and such).

1. Weekly Meeting time: The decided upon meeting time will remain 12:20 every Monday afternoon.
2. Club dues: We would like to have the dues turned in ASAP (prefferably by next meeting if possible) These dues will go toward SAF application costs as well as T-shirt costs. The cost is just $5 a semester.
3. Club T-shirts: Club T-shirts should be available by next meeting, and will cost $12 for club members or $15 for non-club members.
   
4. Wednesday August 26th: Woodsman team / Forestry Club Cookout starts at 5PM and ends whenever the last folks leave. We are doing this knowing that there are some of you freshmen out there that don't get out of lab until 7pm, and we want you to be there to enjoy a burger and good company. See y'all there.
5. Saturday August 29th: Jammin' on the Mill Pond starts at 10AM and ends at 8PM. We will be running a booth there as well as demonstrating timber sports events for onlookers. We are looking for people to run the booth (selling T-shirts) and demo the events. If you didn't sign up at the meeting, but are interested in supporting the clu, get with a club officer to submit your name.
6. Sunday August 30th: Club rafting trip on the Nantahala River. See previous post for specifics.
7. Saturday September 5th: Timbersports demo at the GSMNP fund raiser in Waynesville. I know that this is during Labor Day, but any help working the booth or doing an event would be very much appreciated.
8. Tuesday September 15th: The ApSAF Pisgah and Nantahala chapters will be leading a tour of the Waynesville watershed. Other chapers involved will include our own HCC student chapter, the student chapter from Warren Wilson College, and hopefully students from the Western Carolina student chapter. Topics discussed will cover silvicultural treatments within the watershed, the status and direction of the watershed project, and much more. We will need volunteers to help cook burgers and represent the college in a positive manner. This is a great opportunity to meet forestry professionals in the area, so keep this tour in mind. The tour should run from approximately 4:15 to 5:30 or 6:00 with a cookout following. More details will follow.
   
9. Saturday October 3rd: John G Palmer Intercollegiate Timbersports Meet at the Cradle of Forestry. Practice at the shed began today, remember, practice makes perfect while making you eligible to compete. We discussed requirements for competition, and have determined that a couple of hours (3-4) a week is necessary to be competitive against Penn State Mont-Alto. Team Captains, Daniel Jones and Jeremy Graves, will be watching who shows up and is actually practicing and will ultimately judge who can and can't qualify to compete. BE THERE!
10. FIREWOOD!!!! We are looking for volunteers to chop and haul firewood. Seek out Rance Rogers or Boomer for more details.

Well, That's all for now folks!
~Billy

Welcome back!!!!!!

Hello my fellow foresters, and welcome back to yet another exciting semester at Haywood Community College. I also want to welcome the newest additions to the HCC Forest Management Program, we are all happy to have you with us. We're starting this semester at full throttle with an event packed second week.
They are as follows:

1. Monday Aug 24th: First Forestry Club meeting of the semester to be held in room 310 at 12:20 (please be there)
2. Wednesday Aug 26th: FC/Woodsmen Team cookout and timber sports demo to be held at the woodsmen shed at 5:00.This is a great time for freshmen to meet the sophomore class and mingle in a fun-filled and laid-back environment. Come enjoy the burgers and hotdogs, chips and drinks provided by the club. (anyone unsure of where the woodsmen shed is, ask a sophomore or an advisor)
3. Saturday Aug 29th: Join us at the millpond for "Jammin' on the Millpond"
4. Sunday Aug 30th: The FC will be rafting the Nantahala River. We will meet in the parking lot of the old Wal-Mart at 11:45AM to be at the rafting site by 2:30PM. The trip down the river is estimated to be a 2 hour trip, so the return time should be around 6:30 - 7:00pm. The cost is $19 and we have a limit of 24 seats available, so if you are interested look for the sign up sheet on the FC bulletin board.

That's all for now, I look forward to seeing you all at the meeting!
~Billy

Website Wins Third Place in SAF Competition!

Just received word from the Society of American Foresters that our website (yes, THIS ONE) placed third in the SAF Student Chapter Website Award contest! From Claire Kovacs, Advertising Manager for SAF:

We have tallied the final scores of the SAF Student Chapter Website Award contest and congratulations are in order for you and your SAF Student Chapter - the Haywood Community College Student Chapter has won Third Place in the SAF Student Chapter Website Award! A huge congratulations goes out to your chapter members for a job well done.Comments from the judges were unanimous in thinking that the future of the forestry profession is in very good hands. Details for receiving the award in Orlando at the National Convention will be forthcoming. Congratulations again for all of your hard work!

Kudos to Bill on all the great photo posts from this summer!!

Forest Recreation

Here's a look at the many activities enjoyed by the HCC Forest Management students during their three week course in forest recreation (yes, it really is a class!).

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Aside from hiking and generally just enjoying the outdoors, the students learned the history of forest recreation in America; Discussion topics included the history of National Park creation, important figures in history that pushed for the protection of wilderness like John Muir and Aldo Leopold, and which government components control and manage the different aspects of recreation. Enjoy the pictures!

Billy

Club VP Selected to Serve as SAF Student Congress APSAF Chair

This article was recently posted on the college homepage:

Haywood Community College Forestry student Bill Sweeney was recently elected as the national Society of American Foresters Student Congress Chair. Student from any college represented in the Appalachian Society of American Foresters were eligible to apply for this position including those from two and four-year schools. As Student Congress Chair, Sweeney will lead other student delegates from across the nation representing their respective forestry programs at the 2009 Annual SAF Conference to be held in Orlando, Florida in September.

Sweeney will graduate from HCC next spring. He is vice president of the school’s Forestry Club and has a 4.0 grade point average. He was a marshal at this year’s graduation ceremony. On the HCC Woodsmen’s Team, he competes in the bolt split, axe throw, dendrology, and pulp toss events. This past year, he came in second place in the dendrology and axe throw events. As the Student Congress Chair, Sweeney will serve as liaison between the Appalachian SAF and colleges. He plans to create a network of forestry club presidents in hopes to get students more interested. Most of HCC Forestry students are already very active in the SAF.

“This position is a great networking tool,” Sweeney says. “It is a great way to obtain knowledge on jobs, a career, and for mentorship.” Sweeney says he will participate once a month in phone conferences and consistently through email with the SAF and Student Congress.

Sweeney is a native of Asheville and graduated from Asheville High School in 1992. He spent two years in the Army as a mechanic and two years in the active Reserves. He was worked in retail automotive managing various commercial automotive stores. In addition to attending HCC full-time, he also works full-time at O’Reilly Auto Parts. Sweeney says pursuing a career in forestry is something he’s always wanted to do. “Growing up, I took regular trips hiking, camping, and picnicking in the Pisgah National Forest.” He believes that the role of a forester is to be right in the middle of preservation and conservation.

After graduation, Sweeney plans to pursue a Bachelor’s degree at either Virginia Tech or the University of Idaho. “HCC is really hands-on,” he explains. “HCC definitely gives you the experience of doing the work, doing the job you will be doing when you finish school. They have a great staff that is interested in helping you succeed. Every teacher has gone out of the way to help. There’s no excuse not to do well.”

Mt. Lyn Lowery Mensuration Hike

As a reward to the students who worked so hard to achieve and maintain the high HCC Forestry standards in the Summer 2009 Mensuration Class, instructor Bob Pinkston led a 15 mile hike to and from the summit of Mt. Lyn Lowery. Though long and arduous, the vistas and feelings of accomplishment shared by the class made the trek more than worthwhile. The students came to see why Lyn so dearly loved these mountains. Posted below are some shots of the trip taken by the students with hopes that you too will enjoy the beauty of Mt. Lyn Lowery as we did.

~Billy

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SummerMensuration Class 2009

Forestry juices are a-flowin' as students put their gained knowledge into practice during week two's systematic cruise on the Beaty Forest.

Pictured: Jessi Bowen
Picture by: Ryan Hyman

Forestry Club Banquet Directions

Hey Guys, the banquet being held tomorrow is going to be at Leslie Boyd's house. Directions to her house are posted below. For additional directions, or if you get lost call Leslie at (828)734-5954 (cell) or (828)926-2061 (home)

From I-40 West:
Take exit 20
Bear right and go under the bridge.
Take the first right onto Cove Creek Rd.
Continue approximately 1/2 a mile, then
Take a left onto Bob Boyd Rd.
Field is on the right, look for the festivities

From School:
follow USHWY 19/23 west
Take exit 103 (Dellwood Rd) toward Maggie Valley
Continue on Dellwood Rd. approximately 4 miles, then
Take a right onto Hwy 276 (Jonathan Creek Rd.) Dollar General is at the corner
Continue Approximately 5 miles, then
Take a left onto Cove Creek Rd. (it's the last left before you get to I40)
Continue approximately 1/2 a mile, then
Take a left onto Bob Boyd Rd.
Field is on the right, look for the festivities

See you all there!
Billy

Lumberjacks Demo for Chile Group

"Los Madereros" from HCC put on a show for a visiting group of Rotarians from Chile this afternoon. The Forestry Club demonstrated the various events involved in timbersports to the group that is visiting western North Carolina for several weeks. Students donned their official "team uniforms" of hickory shirts and red suspenders and showed off the finer points of axe-throwing, speed-chopping, and crosscut sawing. The group also toured the Professional Crafts program while on campus.

Lumberjacks Finish 2nd in 2009 Mid Atlantic Meet

The HCC Lumberjacks made the 9 hour trek to western Maryland and came very close to ousting the reigning Mid-Atlantic champions, Penn State Mont Alto. HCC Freshman Daniel Jones placed a solid second in the STIHL Mid Atlantic Collegiate Challenge posting amazing times in the four STIHL events.

A Message from the New Club President

Mid-Atlantic Trip

We will be meeting at the vans behind the student center at 6:30 AM tomorrow morning, Friday April 16th, with plans to leave at 7:00 AM. Be prepared to camp up there, as we decided not to rent motel rooms.

See you guys in the morning,

Billy

Shining Rock Wilderness Hike

This last Saturday we had a great hike in the Shining Rock Wilderness, and much fun was had by all. We thank all who attended the hike and especially Bob Pinkston, who led the hike. Here are some shots from the excursion. Enjoy!

Billy

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American Chestnut Foundation Presentation

Hey there folks!

Today we had Bryan Burhans from the American Chestnut Foundation share with us the state of the American chestnut, and what they have done to further research into the restoration of this American giant. He spoke of the American chestnut's historical, ecological and economic importance, as well as some of the traits and characteristics that made it such an important player in the construction of our country's infrastructure. The breeding programs that are being developed by the foundation are sighted in on eventual reintroduction and restoration of this once dominant tree to our national forests. Here are a few shots from the Presentation, as well as a link to the foundation's site. I encourage you to check it out, and possibly become a supporter. A special thanks to Bryan for the presentation, Frank for all the hard work in setting this up, and all the great folks that showed up to support our club.

Billy

http://www.acf.org/


This is Bryan doing his presentation


Here is club president Frank Potts presenting Bryan with a HCC Forestry Club T-shirt

Shining Rock hike

Remember to meet in the old Wal-Mart parking lot at 9 AM. See you guys there!

Billy

We had a great turn out to our second cookout on monday. We had a lot of fun showing some of the newcomers demos of the events held at Timbersport meets. Here are a few photos of the festivities. Enjoy!
~Billy

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Meeting Notes from 3/10/2009

Howdy folks, here are some of the topics we discussed at the meeting on Tuesday.

1. We will be having a cookout on Monday March 23rd at the Woodsmen Team shed at 5:00.
2. We hope to be able to schedule a guest speaker from the American Chestnut Foundation for Monday March 30th. More details to follow.
3. We will be having Bob Pinkston lead a trip up to Shining Rock followed by a ramp hunt on Saturday April 4th. There is the possibility of a fish fry using those ramps following the trip. A sign up sheet will be posted on the FC bulletin board.
4. Frank has ordered the new FC T-shirts, and I must say they are sharp! Price will be $10 for club members and $15 for non club members.
5. We need every able bodied man and woman who is interested in competing in the Mid-Atlantic Woodsmen Meet to get up to the shed and practice. Please recruit folks when you can, as we would like to have a good showing in Maryland.
6. Elections for the next semesters club officers will be held following the Mid-Atlantic meet, so be thinking about who you would like to lead you next semester.

That's all folks!

Billy

March Forestry Club Cookout

Well, we had a great turnout at the cookout today, and we appreciate everyone's attendance and support. A special thanks to all who helped plan and execute this get together; the food was great, and so was the fellowship. Here are some of the photos that were taken. Enjoy!

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Water Rock Knob Trip 2/22/09

Here are a few more pictures from the hiking trip led by forester Bob Pinkston. Enjoy!

Photographer: Jeremy Graves
Pictured: Frank Potts, Sarah Miller, Jeremy Graves, Bob PInkston

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FC Club notes

Hey guys and gals, I just have a few things this week.

1. The Mid-Atlantic woodsmen meet is going to be April 17th through 18th, a schedule of events is available on the display case outside the Naural Resources office. All potential competitors need to be attending practice regularly until then. THIS IS A BIG DEAL!
2. The hiking trip to Shining Rock is still on for Sunday Feb. 22. All folks interested in attending are encourage to attend the meeting on Tuesday Feb. 17 in room 310, where Bob Pinkston will be going over what to bring, and what to expect.
3. The HCC SGA would like some help manning the booth this weekend Saturday Feb. 14 in the Wal-Mart parking lot for helping with "Teddys for Troopers". Anyone interested should contact a FC Club officer for more information.
4. Timberbeast, VT's woodsmen event, is going to be Friday Feb. 27 for all interested. This isn't going to be club sponsored, so anyone wanting to go will need to provide their own transportation, and sleeping arrangements. All interested get with me (Bill), and if we have enough, we can decide whether or not we want to caravan up.

That's all folks!

Billy

FC Meeting Notes

Hey guys! Welcome back! Here are the highlights from today's meeting.

1. Frank has a small order of the club t-shirts (24) on the way, so look for them in the next few weeks, and if your size isn't there or you want a case load of them, you will be given a chance to order more.
2. Feb. 7th: Saturday: Trail maintenance at Erwin High School is scheduled for 9 AM. We will be meeting at the vans and leaving around 8:30 AM if you need to follow someone there. If you won't be caravaning with us, but need directions, see a FC officer.
3. Feb. 14th: Saturday: We will be holding our first of many cookouts at the home of Jon Ward, FC VP, between 4 PM and 6 PM. Directions will be forthcoming for all who wish to attend. This a social event, and a great opportunity for you to meet and get to know the other members of our Forestry Club.
4. Feb. 22nd: Sunday: FC hike! LIke the cookout, this is to be the first of many. A destination has yet to be chosen, but should be by the next FC meeting.

That's all, folks

Billy

Halló, Góðan daginn, Živijo, Hola, Zdrasti, Ni hao, and Howdy!

The forestry club blog has officially reached 3,000 hits. We especially appreciate our visitors from around the globe. We've had hits from China, Bulgaria, Latvia, Australia, Indonesia, Spain, the UK, Canada, Poland, Chile, Brazil, Germany, France, and Romania to name a few. It's pretty impressive to see that our club has garnered "worldwide" attention. Danke schön!

APSAF 2009

Just a few pictures here from the recent trip the Forestry Club/SAF Student Chapter took to Newport News, Virginia for the winter Appalachian SAF meeting. We had the most students in attendance (beating out our 4-year counterparts!)