Natural Resources Department Career Day

On Wednesday, February 24th, The HCC Department of Natural Resources hosted a career day put on by several State and Federal agencies. After a pizza lunch, the students were encouraged to form groups to cycle from station to station in "round-robin" style. At each station, an agency representative spoke with the student group about the job(s) that they perform, and the opportunities available to interested individuals. Students were encouraged to bring resumes with them, as potential employers could be present, and an opportunity could be available. Below are some pictures taken from the event.



We would like to thank the following people for making this event possible:

First and foremost, Bob Pinkston. Bob was the driving force behind making this happen. Thanks, Bob, for all you do. We appreciate you tremendously!

The HCC students for helping in set up and tear down of the event.

The HCC Forestry Club for pizza and soda acquisition

Also, a special thanks to Krista Shelton, of the Sumter National Forest, for forwarding all the available jobs that Bob posts for us.

Officers Shawn Martin and Greg Daniels, of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission

Tobias Miller and David Ogle, in the trails division of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Dan Bryson, Geoffrey Geier, and Brandon Poole, Forestry Technicians in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Officer Lee Boyd, of the USDA Forest Service Region 8 Law Enforcement Division

Jeff Owenby, Director of the Cradle of Forestry, USDA Forest Service

Chris Spencer, of the Holmes Educational Forest, NCFS

Mike Byrd, Henderson County Ranger, NCFS

And lastly,

Matt Gilbert and Matt Miller of the USFS Cherokee Hotshots

Many of the presenters are HCC graduates, and good examples of what a degree from HCC can achieve. Thanks again everyone!

~Billy

HCC SAF STUDENT CHAPTER TRIP TO APSAF

The HCC Student Chapter of the Society of American Foresters recently attended the annual APSAF (Appalachian Society of American Foresters) meeting held in Greenville, North Carolina. The topic of this year's meeting was, "Charting the Path Forward: Land Management and Forest Products Marketing Strategies for an Emerging Economy". HCC chapter members were able to hear from professional foresters, researchers, and other natural resources professionals on how emerging timber markets (woody biomass, cellulosic ethanol, and carbon credits) will impact the demand for forests and forest products. In addition to the technical sessions, students were able to network with potential employers, university faculty and staff, and also their peers from other colleges and universities.


A highlight of the conference was the student field tour sponsored by Weyerhaeuser and the North Carolina Division of Forest Resources. During this field tour students where able to visit the Pitt County district office and also Weyerhaeuser plantation lands.

We greatly appreciate all those that provided finical support, without your help many of our students would have not been able to attend. Special thanks to: HCC Foundation, The Kenny P. Funderburke Educational Endowment, North Carolina Division of SAF, and Mr. and Mrs. Tom and Cathy Bishop.

Sugarbush!

As part of their Forest Management Technology capstone course, HCC forestry students recently traveled to Maple Creek Farm in Yancey County to discuss forest management and non-timber forest products, with Mr. Richard Sanders (Forester and Farm Manager of Maple Creek Farm). Maple Creek Farm is the furthest southern commercial producer of maple syrup in the US, and the only one located in North Carolina. Their "sugar bush" consists of two stands, each with some 200+ sugar maple trees, located on the north and east facing slopes of two mountainsides. The stands are high on the slopes between 3,100 and 3,900 feet in elevation. Over four miles of tubing and piping carries the maple sap from the trees down the mountain to the "sugar shack" in the valley between the mountains(From Maple Creek Farm's website: http://www.maplecreekfarm.net)

At the end of the tour we assisted Richard in inspecting some of the farm's maple syrup by pouring it over vanilla ice cream.