NC Summer Society of American Foresters Meeting Held at WWC

This summer Warren Wilson College hosted the Summer Meeting of the North Carolina Division of the Society of American Foresters.The meeting focused on the threats to the integrity of Appalachian forest ecosystems and strategies available to managers to maintain or restore ecosystem function.

Presenters covered topics ranging from Appalachian forest history, exotic invasive species such as thousand cankers disease, hemlock wooly adelgid and chestnut blight, the restoration of degraded hardwood stands, and elk reintroduction. The meeting was attended by professional foresters from state and federal agencies, private industry, consultants, academics, and students.

Forest Manager Shawn Swartz led a tour of the College Forest. Attendees witnessed a pair of group selections, the site of a prescribed burn, the silviculture measurements stand, and the woodlot, where they were treated to a horse logging demonstration by the horse crew.

Forest Manager Shawn Swartz shows the silviculture measurements stand

Saturday evening the attendees were treated to a hog roast. Forestry Crew members Liam Bonk and Joe Coleman, assisted by members of the Farm Crew, slaughtered and cooked a pair of hogs from the College Farm. During dinner WWC alum Rayna Gellert and WWC faculty Jeff Keith played old time music while Holly Baumgartner, wife of Forest Manager Shawn Swartz, added some clogging.

The meeting was a very successful one and a good time was had by all.