Class of 2014

Here is the graduating class of forest technology students at Penn State Mont Alto for 2014. Good work guys!

Academic Festival 2014

Forest technology students were big participants in this year's Academic Festival, as seen below.

Joshua Brenneman won third place with his project: Reforestation Potential of non-native tree species within Michaux Forest. Joshua also earned an honorable mention in the art exhibit.

Josh Rittenhouse researched the interactions of Allegheny wood rat raccoons with an infection of roundworms.

Tyler Hoffman and Dakota Aldinger evaluated the requirements to make a trail in the Michaux State Forest ADA accessible.

Ethan Mansfield, Coby Salmon, Kyle Beaver and Aaron Lewis evaluated an American Chestnut plantation in the Waynesboro Watershed.

Aaron Lewis and Ethan Mansfield developed a wildlife management plan for a forest landowner.

Coby Salmon studied the possibility of using goats as a method for controlling Japanese Angelica Tree on the Waynesboro Watershed.

Alex Storm and Brady Rosenberry created a wood identification display.

Rothrock Legacy: A Forum on the Past and Current Condition of Penn's Woods

The Forestry Club, the Pennsylvania Forestry Association and the South Mountain Partnership sponsored a panel discussion on Joseph Rothrock's conservation legacy last evening (3/27) at Penn State Mont Alto.

The speakers, pictured above, were Nancy Baker, Matthew Keefer, and Joseph Barnard (seated l-r). Standing is Richard Lewis, the moderator from the Pennsylvania Forestry Association.

Barnard spoke on the career and conservation activities of Joseph Rothrock. Keefer described the conditions of Pennsylvania's forests today and challenges for the future. Baker spoke of her family's experience with and attachment to their 163 acre forest that they have owned for almost 140 years.

It was a fascinating program followed by some thought provoking discussion.

National Botanic Garden Field Trip

Penn State Mont Alto students and faculty Beth Brantley and Craig Houghton, thanks to a generous gift from Mont Alto alum '58 George Siehl, traveled to the Nation's Capital to see the sights including the US Botanic Garden, lunch at the National Museum of the American Indian, and free time to walk and see other Smithsonian museums. A fun time for all!

BIG TREE CLIMBING AT MONT ALTO!

Cumberland Valley Tree Service arborists, Dave Poe and Jeremy Redding, help out with the annual Big Tree climb at Penn State Mont Alto in the 142' yellow-poplar! Thanks Dave and Jeremy and
good job to the Forest Technology students!

Can you find 20 climbers in this tree?

Here are 18 sophomore Forest Technology students

(Ethan, Levi, Mike, Kurt, Spencer, Ben, Kyle, Richie, Dylan, Matt, Brady, Jack,
Alex, Zach, Josh, James, Joshua, Tyler and Robert - still in the tree)

Mont Alto Forest Technology students assess and improve arboretum tree health using a Resistograph and an air-spade from Bartlett Tree Experts, Chambersburg Office (October 30).

Shane Wagoner, Bartlett Tree Experts, uses the

 Resistograph to measure tree decay.

Student, Richie Scott, air-spades soil to loosen it and then Bio-Char is added and incorporated to improve soil conditions for a campus arboretum pin oak (below).

Brad Evans, Bartlett Tree Experts (far right), added Bio-Char and 'Boost," a fertilizer to this white oak while Tyler Hoffman finishes up by raking the loose soil back over the fine roots.

Mont Alto students compete at the Tree Care Industry Expo in Charlotte, NC November 14-16. (Zach Dubbs, Tyler Hoffman, Mike Claar, and Jack Ingram)

The Student Career Days included students from 13 other colleges and universities: Utah State, Brigham Young, Purdue, Allegany College of Maryland, and Wisconsin to name a few.  The 5 events were: belayed tree climb,  work climb, throw line installation, safety equipment inspection, and a written arboriculture exam.

Here are the guys getting ready to climb. (Mike, Zach, Tyler, and Jack)

They were even the fastest "Pit Crew" at the NASCAR Hall of Fame where the opening reception took place! (Zach, Tyler, and Mike)

We also went on a field trip to the Bartlett Tree Experts Research Lab to see insect and disease diagnostics and the arboretum of more than 11,000 trees! An excellent educational experience!


Next year's Tree Care Industry Expo in in Hartford, Connecticut.

Penn State Mont Alto Forest Technology Arboriculture Students Take to the Sky!

Steve Nagy and Chris Miller from the Davey Tree Expert Company join Mont Alto students with a 60-foot aerial lift and brush chipper. We removed dead branches from a beautiful campus arboretum sycamore. Thanks to Davey Tree!

PENN STATE MONT ALTO ARBORETUM WORK DAY

That's a work crew! Mont Alto alumni Kevin Braun '09, Certified Arborist at Winterthur and Frank Grano '09, Certified Arborist, Bartlett Tree Experts (kneeling L and R), John Richter '59 (standing 5th from L), and Adam Wentzel '12 (not  pictured), with Penn State Mont Alto students and faculty Craig Houghton and Beth Brantley (not pictured). Students L to R: Brett Seidel, Ben Stephey, Marc DeWindt, Joshua Brenneman, Robert Voneida, Tyler Hoffman, Jack Ingram, Kurt Sherrard, Mike Claar, Mike Crone, Alex Storm and Robbie King (not pictured). They contributed 85 personnel hours in the Penn State Mont Alto Arboretum on Saturday, October 19, 2013 in the Conifers of the World Grove. The Chambersburg office of Bartlett Tree Experts donated the use of a chipper and truck for the day of service. Dead branches and trees were removed, invasive species were eradicated, brush was chipped, and trees were pruned. It was a fabulous day of hard work and volunteer service to the Arboretum!

What is the CCC?

Paul "Sunshine" Shogren shared the story of the CCC program from the Great Depression era and how mich work the enrollees did to further conservation. He also shared stories of his time at Mont Alto with today's students.

Visit to Fort Indiantown Gap

Yesterday, May 15th, the forest technology summer camp students joined in with the Keystone SAF chapter meeting for a tour of forestry Operations at Fort Indiantown Gap.

Visiting an oak harvest site where several herbicide treatments were applied to improve regeneration success.

 

 

 

 

Then we visited a prescribed burning site. This field has to be kept open for military operations. It's a great opportunity to perfect safe burning techniques for this area.

 

The fire is started with these "dragon eggs" that are dropped from a helicopter.

Mont Alto alums J.D. Lambrinos and Daren Krebs show how the fires are lit.

The open habitat keeps clear the viewshed for the hawk-watching spot on the hill in the distance.

Thanks to the forestry and wildlife biology staff at Fort Indiantown Gap for an excellent tour!

Check out this map of our visit.

View KeystoneSAF visit to Fort Indiantown Gap in a larger map

Graduation today.

The Class of 2013, Forest Technology students.

Logging boots for any occasion!

End of the Year Picnic 2013

After the Forest Management Practices final we had a picnic/cookout at Mont Alto State Park.

Jason Owings and Tosh Rung were elected to the CEFTS Honor Society based on their superior academic performance.

Group Photo. See you at graduation.

Emergency Response Training

For the last few years the forestry students have worked with the nursing students at Mont Alto to simulate emergency response to a logging accident. Using the medical training dummy, istan, the students can go train through the whole experience from a downed logger to first aid and transport, to an ER triage, and to transport on Penn State's Life Lion helicopter.


Here is a link to the article in the Chambersburg Public Opinion. This experience makes a great finale to the first aid training required for forest technology students before the forest  harvesting courses of summer camp.

Foresters Do Art, Too!