The Warnell School's forestry program reinstated Forestry Field Camp for first year professional students this Maymester session for the first time since the early 1970's. At that time, a curriculum revision resulted in the elimination of the "Forestry School's" summer camp program.

While faculty members of the School, at the time, felt that summer camp resulted in students missing summer employment/internship opportunities, many older forestry alumni were mystified as to why this important field course was removed from the program. "To me, field classes should have a whole lot of emphasis," said Bill Miller, III (BSF '70) in an article to be published in the upcoming Spring 2007 edition of The LOG. "To gain the knowledge and meet the woods workers, it really helps students figure out if this is really what they want to do."

Present faculty agree with this assessment of the importance of field classes and believe reinstatement of the summer camp program is in the best interest of first year forestry students. However, they also recognize the need for students to capitalize on summer internship opportunities. Therefore, summer camp has been reformatted into a three-week Forestry Field Camp that will be featured annually during the Maymester session, according to Professor Dale Greene who teaches Forestry Field Camp along with Professors Dick Daniels, Bruce Borders, and Laurie Schimleck.

The three-week camp will focus instruction in the areas of silviculture, forest harvesting and products, and forest mensuration. An entire week will be dedicated to each focus area. All first-year professional forestry majors are now required to complete Forestry Field Camp.

"Field camp gives students the opportunity to reinforce their measurement skills before taking mensuration, their knowledge of forest ecology before taking silviculture, and receive exposure to forest products mills and industrial forestry operations before taking harvesting and roads, and wood properties and utilization" explains Dr. Greene. "Without a camp component students are limited to afternoon labs to practice field skills."

In addition, Dr. Greene believes camp will provide students with team building experience teaching them to work together to better achieve their academic goals. "It creates camaraderie among the group, a bonding experience through intensive, all-day field instruction and after-hours fellowship," he said. "It also builds bonds between the students and the faculty allowing students to gain a better understanding of the area of forestry where they wish to focus their studies, and faculty members who specialize in those areas."

Absent for more than three decades, Forestry Field Camp has returned to the Warnell School's forestry curriculum. This three-week intensive education course will benefit students and faculty alike, and increase the opportunity for students to practice their field skills. Warnell School students have always graduated well-prepared to enter the workforce, but now they will also be more fully prepared before beginning the essential classes needed to earn a bachelor's degree in forestry at The University of Georgia.