NC State Forestry Club Impressive at 2009 Forestry Conclave
Posted on May 01, 2009 by Lisa Schabenberger
by Graham Ford, Junior, Forest Management, NC State Forestry Club Vice President 2008 & 2009
Alabama A&M University hosted the Southern Forestry Conclave this year in Huntsville, Alabama. Fifteen schools from across the Southeast attended the 3 day event. These schools included North Carolina State, Virginia Tech, Clemson, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi State, Alabama A&M, Louisiana State, Louisiana Tech, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Steven F. Austin, Auburn and Texas A&M. These southern schools that offer curricula in Forest Management all belong to the Association of Southern Forestry Clubs. Once a year, all these schools get together to test their students’ aptitude in forestry. What transpired in Alabama was a mixture of brains and brawn that will not soon leave the memories of those in attendance.
Events began on Thursday night at the Stihl Collegiate Timbersports Competition presented by Carhart. This competition had no effect on the outcome of the Conclave, but it was meant to pit each school’s toughest competitors against one another in four physical events (underhand block chop, standing block chop, stock chainsaw, and single buck) These events were not for the faint of heart, or arms for that matter. Logan Scarborough, the president of the NC State Forestry Club, competed valiantly in the Stihl competition, winning all the events by a large margin. However, it was a mere slip of the chainsaw by ¼ of an inch that proved to be his downfall. Logan cut outside of the line on the stocksaw event, yielding him a DQ and no points for the event. Logan was surely disappointed but is now all the more determined to get revenge at next year’s competition.
Friday and Saturday were filled with the Conclave events, consisting of both technical and physical forestry skills. Some of the events on the schedule were compass and pace, timber estimation, dendrology, photogrametry, wood identification, DBH estimation, chain throw, axe throw, bow saw, two man/woman crosscut, pole felling, and log birling. It was a rainy weekend in Alabama. Highs were in the low 40’s and the sun did not show itself once. Weather was a limiting factor for all events. Fighting the wind and rain proved to be a task in itself, on top of wielding axes and saws. Much respect is due to the brave souls who bravely took the plunge into the pond to compete in log birling.
Fourteen of the NC State Forestry Club’s finest and brightest made the 10 hour trip to Huntsville, AL. They represented the club well and had a great time. NC State finished 2nd in technical events by a margin of less than a point, and 6th in physical events. At the close of the competition on Saturday afternoon, the rankings and points gave the club an overall standing of 4th place, missing 3rd by only 6 points.
Conclave was a great experience for all the club members that took the trip. With everyone returning next year, the future of the NC State Forestry Club is looking very bright. Arkansas is hosting the Southern Forestry Conclave next year. The NC State Forestry Club cannot wait for redemption.
NC State Forestry Club Women with crosscut bow
See more photos of the NC State Forestry Club at 2009 Southeastern Conclave
YouTube video of 2009 Stihl Timbersports Collegiate Challenge at the Southeastern Conclave
YouTube video of Logan competing at single buck crosscut
