The 2006 Fall Forestry Camp was held at the Auburn Solon Dixson Forestry Center, Andulusia, Alabama.

Jennifer

Iowa Falls, IA

"Overall, I felt that our morning with the USDA Forest Service at the CNF was remarkable. We had many opportunities to ask questions, be interactive with the FS staff, and filled with information on the inter-workings of the CNF District." (read more)

Frank

Farmington, IA

"A major program that goes on in the forest is longleaf pine restoration. The restoration involves a prescribed fire program and the enhancement of the Red Cockaded Woodpecker." (read more)

Eric

Riceville, IA

"Currently, the LPA has around 650 members, most of whom are private forest owners, professional foresters, wildlife supporters, and The Nature Conservatory, nurseries, university researchers, and even the U. S. Department of Defense." (read more)

Luke

Bettendorf, IA

"Fire has been a very important part of the southeastern pine ecosystem throughout history and will continue to be an important management tool for the reforestation of the area. Some of the reasons are: reduction of hazardous fuels, site preparation, disposal of leftover logging debris, wildlife habitat improvement, disease and competition control, to allow for easier access, nutrient cycling, manage threatened and endangered species, and encourage and keep fire dependent species." (read more)

Jeff

Boone, IA

"I have learned that I may be very interested in forest management as a profession. Whether it is with a government organization or private, I think I will be happy with it because I will be out in the woods doing inventory or some other kind of monitoring and doing some other kind of part to make the timber industry more sustainable. When I decided I wanted to go into forestry I was interested in making the timber industry more sustainable so generations to come will enjoy our natural resources and I believe that forest management is a way I can do this." (read more)

Nicklaus

Rockford, IL

"This visit entailed a tour of the pole and sawmills at which time a company representative explained the inter workings of the mills. This focuses on what one would expect as a career if they received a wood products degree and chooses to work at a saw or pole mill. As someone with a construction background, to learn the process that is taken to make the product that I have used is fascinating." (read more)

Kevin

Cedar Rapids, IA

"The most surprising and interesting point that Mr. Chandler made about his career was that it was always new and always changing, and there was always room for advancement." (read more)

Ben

Fairfield, IA

"Alabama River Pulp Company (ARPC) allowed our camp to a visit to see how timber is manufactured into pulp, which, in turn, is sold to hundreds of companies who will eventually turn the pulp into anything from diapers to notebooks to the back of an action figure's packaging.these foresters are taking that timber and turning it into everyday products." (read more)

Krystina

Ames, IA

"I think people related better to the hardwood ecosystem since it was much more like Iowa , but more elaborate. The fact that there were gigantic spruce pine trees, palmettos, and beech trees in their natural environment, people really liked it. I really enjoyed the dendrology aspect of everything. I believe I learn much better out in the field physically looking at each individual tree species." (read more)

Lindsay

Lamoni, IA

"What is the Red Cockaded Woodpecker (RCW)? The RCW is a small, black and white woodpecker that is the only southern woodpecker requiring live trees to nest in. The Blackwater State Forest , in an attempt to bring RCW population levels back to pre-colonization levels, uses artificial habitat methods to stimulate breeding." (read more)

Jesse

Kalona, IA

"The Munson Seed Orchard deals with 5 main trees: sand pine, longleaf pine, slash pine, loblolly pine, and bald cypress." (read more)

Michael

Dubuque, IA

"After fielding questions, we headed a few miles west to a cotton field that had terraces and grassed waterways incorporated into the landscape. This was my first chance to look closely and see the similarity to the cornfields of Iowa." (read more)

Jack

Adel, IA

"The main goals of the NRCS that Escambia County were working on: erosion control, improved timber and farm land production, while also protecting water supplies." (read more)

Nick

Lenox, IA

"The Alabama Forestry Commission was set up to help the non-industrial private landowners put together management plans and further their wildlife protection, timber sales, aesthetics, and the control of invasive species." (read more)

Mike

"Some environmental challenges that the park has to face include: urban sprawl, preserving the land before looking at public enjoyment and use, and the smoke from prescribed burns that can be a problem." (read more)

James

Burlington, IA

"There are many challenges Mr. Hoggard faces when doing his job. He must keep the local public aware of his actions and educated about his programs. There is pressure from the national level to meet certain standards for recreation. Those standards can be set higher than what an area is able to handle and the ecosystem is damaged." (read more)

Rick

Spencer, IA

"I believe that this trip to the Trust Joist Weyerhauser facility was very educational. We got to see first hand how the products were made, how much they can produce, and we learned about their safety regulations." (read more)

Joel

Van Meter, IA

"Visiting the SSCTN was very interesting to me because pretty much everything discussed was new to me and I have always been interested in starting my own tree nursery in Iowa some day. Looking at SSCTN's clients helps me to understand what kinds of people I would need to target and how I would develop good customer-based relations in order to have my own successful business. I look forward to taking my curiosity in this field of study to the next level by learning as much as possible in the classes that I am enrolled in now and the classes that I will be taking in the future at Iowa State University!" (read more)

Jamis

Sully, IA

"Discovering Mobile 's history and background was an important step in studying its urban forestry program. overall the day was successful in that it opened me, and other students, up to the idea of and meaning behind urban forestry." (read more)

Emma

Davenport, IA

"Cathedral Park located on Jackson Street struck me as unique because the bordering trees were all around thirty years old but the park was just founded in 1995. The park had a fresh look while still having older shade trees. I imagine this park is a great resource for community events." (read more)

Rob

Gowrie, IA

"Alumni night was a great time to visit with people who graduated in the same programs as all of us. I got a lot of good advice from people who know what needs to happen to get a job, and things that will help you. I had the privilege to interview all of them, and ask them about their present life and when they were in school." (read more)

Andrew

Eldora, IA

"At Rayonier Woodlands, they are looking for the following: innovative and creative, adaptive, technically skilled (especially on GIS, and GPS), strong communications skills, strong collaborators, and mobile." (read more)

Eric

Ames, IA

"The helicopter fire system.is what is used to conduct some of the prescribed burns on the base. The machine is mounted to the helicopter and then uses little balls that look like ping pong balls which are injected with a liquid that makes them ignite. This was a great demonstration because we had heard about the machine at many places and finally had the chance to see it." (read more)

Sabina

Cedar Rapids, IA

"Mike Camizzi's goal is to get the borrow pit and other damaged sites on the Eglin Air Force Base (A.F.B.) back to their natural state." (read more)

Adam

Fort Dodge, IA

"This was my first time visiting a refuge, so I was really excited to see conservation at its best. To me it is amazing how two ecosystems can be so different and only a short distance apart." (read more)