Monday, April 7, 2014

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. 

Thursday, April 3, 2014

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.