Mapping Mecca

Say Freeport, ME and people will automatically say LL Bean. But located in Yarmouth on Rte. 1 just outside Freeport is DeLorme, famous for its line of atlas and gazetteers of the 50 states. The company also produces its own GIS, diverse mapping software, and now its own GPS receiver. I visited the Map Store at DeLorme last week and wasn't disappointed. There are a large number of mapping books and tools available. They have the entire series of topographic maps for the State of Maine at 1:20,000. I bought some full-size vinyl map covers, a great way to store maps for viewing. I also got a large size UTM-grid and protractor, useful for plotting with topographic maps.

The best thing about visiting Delorme is seeing the giant globe, Eartha. It's a world record.

Another Online Mapping Tool

Use A Map

This is a new tool I found on the Ogle Earth Blog . Simply put, use a map lets you create a map location with a simple link address. When you click on the link you then have the option of viewing the map in Google, Yahoo, or MS Live. With new features you can also add pictures and other annotations.

Here is a map I made for Peaks Island, Maine: http://useamap.com/peaks
Here is another for the Penn State Mont Alto campus: http://useamap.com/MontAlto

It's easy to use and a great way to send maps to someone.

Woodsmen Team Show for Road Scholars

The Mont Alto Woodsmen's Team demonstrated Woodsmen's events for the visiting "Road Scholars" tour on Monday evening (5/14). This is an annual event for new Penn State faculty from all of the Univeristy's campuses to learn more about the Commonwealth over a three day tour of various locations. President Graham Spanier tries the two-man crosscut with Darren Krebs while other team members look on.
Here are articles in the local newspapers:
The Herald-Mail online and the Waynesboro Record Herald.

Grafting Workshop

Students in Dr. Brantley's Plant biology class got a lesson in tree grafting from Jack Winieski (Allegany SAF Executive Director) and Bruce Kile (retired PA Service Forester). In these pictures they are working on pine trees. In a later session they worked on apple trees. Grafting is as much an art as a science and takes a great deal of skill and experience. Thanks Jack and Bruce for your help.

(pictures by Bruce Kile)

Chainsaw Maintenance and Safety Training

Each May the freshmen forest technology students attend the four week intensive summer camp program. Timber harvesting is a big part of the program. Here, Stihl chainsaw expert, Ben Crago, gives the students tips on chainsaw safety and maintenance. In the summer camp program students will learn to strip down and clean, sharpen the chain, and do all-around maintenance of a chainsaw. All this before getting to use them in the forest. Thanks for your help Ben!

Mont Alto Hiking Trails

Follow this link, http://tinyurl.com/2j7bto to a map of hiking trails around the Mont Alto Campus made by forest technology student Tom Oliver for the GIS class.

Tom made the map with the new design tools in Google Maps. Very simple to use, all you need to do is navigate to the area you want and use the simple drawing tools. You can then send your map to anyone or even download it to view on Google Earth.

Enjoy!

Arboretum Ceremony

The Penn State Mont Alto Arboretum ceremony was held today to recognize memorial tree recipients and donors.

Forest Technology students, and some alumni now at University Park, led tours of the arboretum and guided donors to their tree.









Chancellor David Gnage starts the proceedings















Adam Ryan (right) shows alumnus George Siehl and his wife Nancy his giant sequioa memorial tree.










Darren Krebs and Matt Groves enjoyed the forestry alumni pig roast.

Arbor Day Beauty

In honor of Arbor Day, here is a gallery of blooming trees on the Penn State Mont Alto campus. The blooms only last for a short time, which can be shortend by rain and wind. But it's great while it lasts.

Powered by filmloop.myfabrik.com

Mont Alto Academic Fair

At yesterday's campus academic there were several forestry entries.
-- Cristie Shull, Deer census transects (1st place)
-- Mike McCormick, GIS map of the Mont Alto Arboretum (2nd place)
-- Cristie Shull and Derick Nye, Botanical drawings (Honorable Mention)
-- Angela Kellert, Forest soil suitability mapping of Franklin County
-- Mark Colwell, Timber harvest mapping on the Waynesboro Watershed
-- Rich Briggs, Prescribed burn planning and mapping on the Waynesboro Watershed
-- Matt Reitzel, Fir tree mapping and species identification on the Mont Alto Arboretum

Tree Risk Assessment Workshop

 

 

 

Arborists from Bartlett Tree Experts led a tree risk assessment seminar at Mont Alto this past Wednesday, April 18. About twenty park managers from Pennsylvania DCNR and thirty forestry students attended. As part of the workshop trees around campus were evaluated for health and safety.

Tree Removal at Mont Alto

Old trees may be our friends, especially on a college
campus. But when the trees are weakened by disease
and age they become a hazard to all. Here is an example
of a removal of two trees on the Penn State Mont Alto
campus.

Unlike a forest where the logger can fell a tree with a
chainsaw and yell "Timber!", an arborist needs to take
a tree apart branch by branch to prevent damage to
surrounding buildings and the landscape.

Woodsmen Team Victorious

P1000602
Originally uploaded by P_Linehan.

The Penn State Mont Alto Woodsmen Team handily won the Mid-Atlantic meet held Saturday, April 14 at the Dabney S. Lancaster Community College in Clifton Forge, VA. against five other collegiate teams.

All fourteen competitors placed or ribboned in one or more events. Events included axe throw, archery, bolt split, pole climb, pole fell, chainsaw speed cut, and crosscut.

It was a cold and rainy day, but everyone had a great time. all the competitors showed great sportsmanship and no one was hurt. Thanks to the folds at Dabney S. Lancaster for hosting the event!

Bolt Split

P1000574
Originally uploaded by P_Linehan.

Sara Merrill competes in the bolt split event.

Crosscut

P1000638
Originally uploaded by P_Linehan.

Chris Peiffer and Glenn Werner on crosscut.

Stihl Timbesports Collegiate Competition

Tom Oliver competed as Mont Alto's representative to the Stihl Timbersports Collegiate Series competition at the Mid-Atlantic Woodsmen's meet at Dabney S. Lancaster Community College in Clifton Forge, VA. Tom came in second overall in a field of five.

Tom was interviewed for ESPN-U cable channel. They are planning a show on the collegiate competitions in July.

Congratulations, Tom!

Russian GPS: GLONASS

Business / World Business

Russia Challenges the U.S. Monopoly on Satellite Navigation

By ANDREW E. KRAMER

Published: April 4, 2007

Russia plans to launch eight navigation satellites to compete with the Global Positioning System operated by the U.S.

This New York Times article describes the Russian effort to complete its own GPS system, called GLONASS, by launching eight more satellites. This would make it operational over the Russian land mass and nearby countries. The network is seen as a competitor to the US system and an effort to bolster Russia's prestige. Many countries fear reliance on an American system in case of problems in international relations. The article says that the European system, Galileo, is stalled over fears of unprofitability. The Chinese are also planning a system.

Conceivably a GPS receiver that could use multiple systems would be more accurate. It could also work even when one system or the other was unavailable. Even at the best of times the US system may work intermittently, although it is much better now than previously.

It would be great if the countries working on GPS could develop a universal system. Since that seems unlikely, they should at least cooperate on standards to benefit all users.

For now the systems we have work well in the forest, but every improvement is welcome.

Forest Inventory in Florida

Penn State Mont Alto forest technology alumnus Chris McGarvey (06) sends in this picture of himself working on a forest inventory plot in Florida. Chris writes:

"I was working with our state QA guy (Jay Frost with the USFS) who took the picture. We were chaining out to one of the subplots on an FIA permanent plot in western Washington county in the Florida panhandle. Plot center was about maybe 75 feet from a creek (tributary to the Choctahatchee Rvr) which has overspilled its banks onto the immediate floodplain (not sure why since it has been very dry state-wide here). We got about waist-deep in pretty quick moving water (was a warm day but the water was a bit chilly - photo was taken in mid March). A cottonmouth was sunning him/herself on one of our tally trees.....property was a bit remote (owned by the NW FLA water mgmt district) and required a mile or so hike to get to it. "

Thanks for the picture Chris. Be careful with the snakes!

Timber Harvesting Visit

Students from the Forest Management Practices class visited a 40 acre timber harvesting operation in Rye Township (near Marysville) yesterday. Consulting forester, and Mont Alto alumnus Michael Waldron (in the red vest in the top picture) explained the silvicultural and landowner goals for this oak stand on the side of a hill. He also described how a forester has to meet landowner goals, silvicultural standards, and loggers' needs while still earning income from the job. Good communication and a willingness to listen are critical. Thanks, Mike, for a great visit. Click here for more pictures.

Mira Lloyd Dock Presentation

To help celebrate Women's History Month, Dr. Susan Rimby from Shippensburg University presented a program on the life and times of Mira Lloyd Dock, one of the founders of the Pennsylvania State Forestry Academy at Mont Alto and the Pennsylvania State Forestry Commission, this past Tuesday March 20th. According to Dr. Rimby, Dock was the "Founding Mother" of the forestry academy. She was beloved by the students as a mentor and counsellor. While respecting the Victorian mores of her time, Dock was active in forestry, conservation, and urban beautification at a time when few women were involved in public life. She was a leader in women's clubs both in Pennsylvania and nationally. She used the clubs to motivate women to become real powers in the conservation movement. Dr. Rimby is currently writing a biography of Dock.

Healthy Hemlocks

During spring break from Penn State I visited my family in Maine. Taking a hike in the Thorncrag Bird Sanctuary in Lewiston I came across this lovely stand of healthy hemlock. In most of Pennsylvania the hemlock woolly adelgid has decimated the hemlock forests. I had forgotten how attractive a stand of healthy hemlock trees looks. No wonder it was made the state tree of Pennsylvania. This just shows the danger of invasive species and pests.