Suicide Ridge Trail Improvements

One of the big projects for the spring semester of 2014 was to repair the Suicide Ridge trail. This involved major regrading of the tread and the installation of many rolling grade dips to get water off of the trail. The Forestry Crew did an excellent job with the work and it is now much improved!

Service Project for Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy

This semester the Warren Wilson Forestry Crew continued doing service projects on the Community Farm of the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy. The crew conducted removal of Virginia pine as part of a shortleaf pine restoration project, in addition to trail repair and step installation. 

Oak Valley Mill Tour

 After taking a several-year break, the Forestry Crew resumed their annual mill tour on the morning of Work Day. The crew traveled to Marion, NC to tour Oak Valley Hardwoods.

 The mill was an opportunity to see a lumber operation on a very different scale from the one that the crew participates in here at WWC. By mid-morning Oak Valley had already produced twice the board footage than the crew produces in a year.

However, while the operations are different in scale, the crew witnessed industrial operations in all of the same activities they do as a crew, including debarking, milling, stacking, and drying lumber, as well as sharpening bandsaw blades.

After the tour the crew had brunch at the Blue Ridge Biscuit Company in Black Mountain.

Caleb Hawkins Competes in the Stihl Regional Qualifier

Caleb Hawkins and Coach Shawn Swartz prepare for the Single Buck

Last Friday Caleb Hawkins and Coach Shawn Swartz traveled to the campus of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA to compete in the Stihl Regional Qualifier. 

Caleb Hawkins prepares for Standing Block

Caleb put up great times at the event, besting all other competitors by a significant margin. However, although his times put him solidly in first place in every event, he hit his line in the Stock Saw resulting in a disqualification. 

Coach Shawn Swartz readies the crosscut for Single Buck

This resulted in a second place finish out of thirteen schools, missing an automatic bid to return to the National Championship for the second year in a row. However, he has been told he sits in a very good position to receive a wild card invitation. He intends to continue training until the invitations have been announced. 

Stihl's post-meet interview with Caleb Hawkins for ESPN

School Name	Contestant Name	Underhand Chop	Stock Saw	Standing Block	Single Buck	Total Points
NC State	Griffith Wilson	60.14 (12)	23.55 (7)	59.66 (12)	33.42 (12)	43
Warren Wilson College	Caleb Hawkins	43.18 (13)	DQ (0)	39.83 (13)	23.74 (13)	39
Stephen F. Austin	Ryan Assenheimer	116.13 (9)	18.27 (10)	114.46 (9)	57.52 (8)	36
Louisiana Tech	Isaac Moore	DNF (0)	18.64 (9)	100.22 (10)	45.81 (10)	29
University of Georgia	Robert Dangle	71.43 (11)	DQ (0)	91.3 (11)	63 (6)	28
Virginia Tech	Robey Coffey	DNF (0)	17.67 (12)	DNF (0)	37.3 (11)	23
University of Kentucky	Grant Kees	DNF (0)	17.64 (13)	DNF (0)	57.42 (9)	22
U of Arkanasa Monticello	William "Cody" Cormier	83.17 (10)	18.94 (8)	DNF (0)	88.49 (3)	21
University of Tennessee	Jacob Lansford	DNF (0)	17.88 (11)	DNF (0)	60.94 (7)	18
Alabama A&M	Andrew Lawhorn	DNF (0)	29.91 (6)	DNF (0)	DQ (0)	6
University of Florida	Stephan Barron	DNF (0)	DQ (0)	DNF (0)	69.41 (5)	5
Mississippi State	Jason Page	DNF (0)	DQ (0)	DNF (0)	85.16 (4)	4
Clemson University	Jesse Burdett	DNF (0)	DQ (0)	DNF (0)	103.25 (2)	2

Forestry Crew at Organic Growers School

For the seventh year Forest Manager Shawn Swartz served as the Forestry Track leader at the Organic Growers School on the campus of UNCA.

Presentations in the track included "A Landowner's Experience in Sustainable Forestry", "Growing and Marketing Ginseng and Goldenseal", "Keeping Your Forest Healthy", and "Wild Nuts". Wood-Mizer also gave demonstrations in sawing lumber throughout the weekend.

Seniors Rhys Brydon-Williams and Kelsey Myers moderated in the track while Dylan Bahoosh and Peter Arnold attended on scholarship.

Dr. Patrick Angel visits WWC Forestry Program

On February 26 Dr. Patrick Angel, senior forester and soil scientist in the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement for the U.S. Department of the Interior, visited the Warren Wilson Forestry Program. He began the day as a guest lecturer in Forest Director Dave Ellum's Forest Management class, explaining his work with the Appalachian Regional Reforestation Initiative using American chestnut and other tree species to restore mined lands to forest habitats capable of supporting increased biodiversity. He then spent some time talking with the Forestry Crew and took a tour of the woodlot operations. In the evening he presented a lecture to the campus community entitled “Hope for Appalachia: Returning Surface Mines to Healthy, Productive Forests”.