Graduation 2015

It was a perfect day for graduation. Congratulations to the 2015 class of forest technicians at Penn State Mont Alto! Keep up the tradition.

Veterans and 9/11 Memorial Park

In February students from the Forest Management Practices class visited the Veterans and 9/11 Memorial Park at the Letterkenny Chapel to discuss ideas for developing a trail in the wooded area behind the Chapel. In the future forest technology students will volunteer to clean up the vegetation.









We had the opportunity to see the inside of the chapel, which was partially built by Italian POWs in WWII.

Work at the Birch Run Reservoir Replanting Area

After working at Greene Twp Park and lunch, we went to Birch Run, the old Chambersburg Reservoir, to help thin out the European alder and free trees from the tree planting tubes. We also brought out the tubes and their poles so they can be re-used by the Bureau of Forestry.

Community Service Planting Trees

On April 18, 2015, forestry and other Mont Alto students planted trees at the Greene Township Park in partnership with several other community groups. The trees were provided as part of the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay tree-planting effort. It was also part of Franklin County's Trees for Tomorrow effort.

Making Bitmore Sticks

Looking like a yard stick, the Biltmore stick is one of the original tools used for measuring tree diameters and heights. It was originally developed by Carl Schenck at the Biltmore Estate in North Carolina. (Click here for more information.) This spring freshman forest technology students at Penn State Mont Alto have made custom Biltmore sticks synchronized to their own arm lengths. This afternoon they checked them out on trees on campus.

Leveling Lab

This year has been very difficult for outdoor forestry labs with all the storms and the resulting class delays. Yesterday we took advantage of a break between storms to do an introduction to leveling in Surveying.

Mont Alto Forestry Students at the Keystone Chapter SAF

The Keystone Chapter SAF (Society of American Foresters) met atStrawberry Hill Nature Preserve for our fall meeting. Executive Director Chuck Reid led the members on a tour of the forestry operations at Strawberry Hill. We also visited the Tree Farm Number One site, previously owned and managed by Glatfelter Paper, that is now part of the Michaux State Forest. District Forester Roy Brubaker outlined plans to add the forest site to the State Forest's program. Glatfelter foresters filled us in on how the property was previously managed.

Six Mont Alto forestry students attended the meeting and the dinner at the Pavilion at Strawberry Hill. Many thanks to the SAF members who sponsored the students. 

Students introduce themselves

Looking over a thinning/harvest site at Strawberry Hill

Thinning/ Harvest site

At Tree Farm Number One

Pond at Strawberry Hill

Cabin at Strawberry Hill

Check out the meeting on this map.

PSU 24

Today is a social campaign called #PSU24 to highlight everything happening at Penn State in one day. Our Penn State Mont Alto Forest Technology contribution is on Twitter and Facebook.
Here is the picture we used and a few more.

Volunteers Provide Tree Care in the Arboretum

Over 30 students, alumni, and faculty participated in the “Every Day is Arbor Day” event, on Oct. 11, during Parents and Family Weekend.

Throughout the day, they worked in the Penn State Mont Alto Arboretum, removing dying white ash trees from behind Mont Alto Hall, pruning dead branches from the oaks that line the library drive, and eradicating exotic invasive trees. Also, following a short lunch break, the forest technology students participated in a woodsmen demonstration.

Seven Penn State Mont Alto alumni, who are employed with Bartlett Tree Experts, Cumberland Valley Tree Service, Winterthur Estates, and ArborMetrix, volunteered their time for a day of service. In addition, the Chambersburg office of Bartlett Tree Experts donated the use of a chipper and truck for the day.

Overall, it was very productive day and saved Penn State Mont Alto thousands of dollars in tree care, according to Forest Technology Instructor Beth Brantley.
More photos of the day can be viewed here.

Society of American Foresters Convention at Salt Lake City

This year three Penn State Mont Alto students attended the SAF Convention in Salt Lake City. This year the convention was combined with the Canadian Institute of Forestry (CIF) and IUFRO meetings. Here are a few pictures.

Here are the quiz bowl participants . Aaron Lewis, Alex Storm, Ethan Mansfield, and Coby Salmon. Alex was on the winning team! (Aaron and Coby are current Mont Alto students. Alex and Ethan graduated this past May and are now at UP). This year students from different schools were combined with Canadian and international students.

On Friday we did a little sight-seeing and visited scenic Provo Canyon where there are some very interesting parks and the amazing Bridal Veil Falls.

Coby Salmon, Aaron Lewis, Ben Stephey, and Peter Linehan

Bridal Veil Falls

On the way back to the main road we came across these mule deer. 

Many thanks to Mr. Marc Lewis (Aaron's Dad) for suggesting the outing and renting the car!

Penn State Mont Alto Arboriculture Class Receives Gifts!

Penn State Mont Alto Arboriculture Class Receives Gifts!

The Forest Technology program received 16 brand new climbing lines from New England Ropes and Teufelberger and to top it off, the Maryland Arborist Association donated $1000 for new climbing saddles! Two students, Taylor Reneker and Jacob Sempowski, try the new Safety Blue Hi-Vee climbing lines and the class smiles while Jeremy Baker, employee of Antietam Tree and Turf and Vice-President of the Maryland Arborist Association presents the check.

 

It's a new year!

This evening we had the forestry picnic at the Mont Alto State Park where the new students and sophomores got to meet at the historic pavilion. This year we had pizza, instead of a cookout, to accommodate everyone's schedule as several students had a six o'clock class!

We had a quiz game with mixed teams of students from both years. Here is the winning team made up of Caleb, Ben, Austen, and Ben.

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.