Longleaf Pine Video

This view of the longleaf pine forest at the Jones Ecological Center is provided courtesy of Beth Brantley.

Candids from the 2010 meeting

It's easy to take pictures of trees and forests. Now, here are some people shots.

Cloud Computing

Should You Try Cloud Computing?

We are all used to using programs that are installed on our computers. Word processing, spreadsheets, and presentation managers are among the most commonly used tools. In the last few years a new method to deliver these services has become common.

In cloud computing software you access programs from a server through a web browser. The browser serves as your window to create and edit documents. All the documents are then stored in your account on the server.

I have been using Google Docs for several years with no problems. Here are some advantages I have found with cloud computing:

1. Edit the files on any computer.
2. Post the documents as web pages for anyone to see. For example, I post instructions for course labs on the web. Documents can also be embedded in web pages. The instructor list on the CEFTS web site is an embedded spreadsheet.
3. Collaborate almost simultaneously with other editors. This I haven’t tried yet, but the reviews have been good.
4. Download the files to use on a local computer with any office application.
5. Both Google Docs and Microsoft’s Office Live are free to use after registration. They both have generous storage available. (Microsoft offers an astounding 25 megabytes free.)

There are some cautions and caveats:

1. Are the files secure? Google Docs has increased security recently. They ask for passwords more often. Yet, I wouldn’t put my gradebook (a spreadsheet) in the clouds quite yet.
2. There aren’t as many tools available in the cloud versions as you get on a desktop application. Yet, I have found 99% of the commonly used tools and functions I need. In addition, Google Docs have a number Gadgets, many user developed, that you can access.
3. Without internet access you are high and dry. I also wouldn’t try these tools over a modem.

I would recommend Google Docs without reservation. Microsoft has just started its cloud computing service. I will be experimenting with it in the next few months. The new Office 2010 is supposed to be better integrated with the cloud service. You can sign in to Office Live here: http://office.live.com/  

Here are examples of files I have made with Google Docs:

1. Document
2. Spreadsheet
3. Presentation

Peter Linehan

P.S. Click here to see the original version of this article in Google Docs.

Map of 2010 Conference Map

View CEFTS 2010 in a larger map
While traveling to the Jones Ecological Center and the other sites we visited during the CEFTS meeting last week I did feel a bit confused as to how far we were traveling. Check out this interactive map to see where the different sites were located.

2010 Meeting at ABAC

The 2010 CEFTS meeting was held in Tifton, Georgia, sponsored by Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC). We enjoyed the visit to the Jones Ecological Center, in spite of the intense heat! The second day consisted of the annual business meeting and a fruitful exchange of teaching ideas.

Next year we will see everyone in Fredericton, New Brunswick!

Mystery reptile

Yesterday, while the CEFTS group was visiting the Jones Center this lizard was found on a live oak by the creek. What is it?

After some research in a wildlife guide, I found out this is an eastern fence lizard. It's a common species found from Texas eastward. Here is a picture of another one that I found on Flickr.

Haywood Community College Honors

Haywood Community announced the following new members of the CEFTS Honor Society. From left to right are: Bill Sweeney, Dawn Salley, Caleb McMahan, and Josh McMinn. Congratulations everyone!

Montgomery Communnity College Honors

Four Montgomery Community College students were inducted into the CEFTS Honor Society this spring. They are from left to right: Nathan McCallum, Ethan Moore, Billy Stancil, and Alex Thompson. Congratulations, gentlemen!

Thompson School Forest Technology Students Earn National Honors

This year, nine Thompson School Forest Technology Students were inducted into the Council of Eastern Forest Technician Schools (CEFTS) Forest Technician Honor Society. To be eligible, students must maintain a 3.0 overall GPA and a 3.3 GPA in their forestry courses. Pictures left to right are: Angie Hammond, Ian Barry, Tyler Currier, Ned Telling, Jared Johnson, Billy Kunelius, Kristen Dietrich, Adam Taschereau and Adam D’Entrement.

Glenville State College Honors

Three students were recently inducted into the Council of Eastern Forest Technology Schools honorary. The students must have obtained a 3.30 in their forestry courses and a 3.00 overall grade point average to be eligible for this honor. This is the oldest award that this organization gives to outstanding individuals in forest technology. They are shown with the forestry instructors in Land Resources. Shown in the photo from left to right are Dr. Rico Gazal, Mr. Rick Sypolt, Douglas Fox, Marilyn Burkowski, Melissa Shockey and Dr. Brian Perkins. Congratulations to Doug, Marilyn and Brian.

New Honor Society Members at Penn State Mont Alto

Two graduating sophomores from Penn State Mont Alto were inducted to the CEFTS Forest Technology Honor Society this past week based on their outstanding academic achievements. The certificates were presented during the spring forestry picnic at Mont Alto State Park. Congratulations Josiah Knopsnider and Severin Thierwechter!

A Visit to Wanakena

David McDonald, from the Maritime College of Forest Technology, made a return visit to the Ranger School at Wanakena after Mike Bridgen's visit to MCFT. His impressions can be found in this previous article. Check out his observations in this report. David has some great insights into the similarities (same educational philosophies and approaches) and differences (administrative organizations) of the two Ranger Schools. Both schools are dealing with the changing needs of the forestry profession, the interests of the students, and the need to keep enrollments up. The illustrations are fantastic!

This Old House and Forest Technology

I've been watching the latest This Old House project, which is following the rebuilding of an abandoned duplex home in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston. Click here to see pictures and videos from the project. The house had been empty for a long time and suffered significant damage from the foundation to the roof.

I noticed that the contractor was installing many manufactured, laminated beams for structural support throughout the house. I wondered if some of the beams came from the Weyerhauser factory we visited during the last CEFTS meeting in Glenville, WV? You never know. Click here for some pictures from the tour. It's nice to think that some of our forest technician students worked on the forests, that grew the trees used for the wood, to make these beams that will help support a home for two families.

Also, at the start of the project a Bartlett Tree Experts crew was called in to remove several dead hazard trees from the back yard. Many of the CEFTS schools have worked with Bartlett, which has employed our graduates.

Penn College Student Honored

Pennsylvania College of Technology forestry student, Laurie A. Nau Named was named 'Student of the Month' by the Student Government Association. According to the announcement:

Nau participates in a number of Forestry Club activities, has repeatedly donated her time to American Red Cross Bloodmobiles at the Schneebeli Earth Science Center, volunteers at Penn College Open Houses, gives tours to prospective students and their families, and is in charge of the forestry bulletin boards in the School of Natural Resources Management.
"Succinctly put, Laurie makes my job easier," her faculty nominator said. "She is not only an excellent student ... but she is very conscientious and dedicated to learning. She is really an amazing person when you consider how she balances her family life with that of her student life. I would be remiss not to say that she is very involved in her community, as well."
The professor also has been impressed with Nau's desire to learn more about the environment, saying she has gone well beyond the forestry education she is acquiring at Penn College.
"She is so supportive of her classmates," the nominator added. "She's almost like a 'Mini Me' when students come to her for additional clarification. I think she would make a great teacher!"

Click here for the complete story.

Congratulations, Laurie for a job well done!

Compare and Contrast: Two Ranger Schools

Michael R. Bridgen (1), SUNY ESF Ranger School, Wanakena, NY and David McDonald (2), Maritime College of Forest Technology, Fredericton, NB

Introduction:

There are about twenty-five colleges in the United States and Canada which offer academic programs in forest technology. Scattered across the continent, each school offers educational programs directed at training technicians for employment in forestry or other natural resource industries. Each school also offers a unique perspective on the industries, molded by the interests and expertise of their faculty members and the regional demands of the profession.

The Maritime College of Forest Technology at Fredericton, New Brunswick (prior to 2003 known as the Maritime Forest Ranger School), was established in April 1946, as a co-operative effort of the provincial governments of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and the wood-using industries of the two provinces. Its program was originally modeled on the facilities and teaching methods used at the (SUNY ESF) Ranger School in Wanakena, NY. Hans Meissner, RS'31, joined the Maritime Forest Ranger School's faculty in 1947, and became its acting Director in 1948.

Unfortunately, since the creation of the School, there has been little professional interaction between members of the two faculties. During this past year, we expressed mutual interest in comparing our programs, perhaps sharing teaching methodologies, and providing our students with a bit of an international experience in the classrooms.

The Hugh John Flemming Forestry Centre, Fredericton, NB

The Visit:

At the invitation of, and facilitation by, David McDonald, an instructor of silviculture, botany, biology, and entomology at MCFT, Michael Bridgen, a professor at SUNY ESF Ranger School attended the campus of the MCFT. During the three-day visit (October 19-21, 2009) the guest faculty member had the opportunity to:

1. Participate in a four-hour silviculture lab, in the field,
2. Present a one-hour lecture on "The Natural History and Silviculture of Black Ash", to the second-year forest technology students,
3. Observe a lecture in roads (2nd year),
4. Participate in a four-hour field lab in fish and wildlife,
5. Observe a lecture in ecology (1st year),
6. Attend the weekly faculty meeting,
7. Visit two forest properties used by the College, and
8. Visit the physical facilities plant.

Bridgen also stayed in the residence hall and had meals with the 1st and 2nd year students, and discussed with students their perspectives on the MCFT program.

SUNY ESF Ranger School, on the shores of the Oswegatchie River in Wanakena, NY

Comparisons between the two schools:

* Class size - MCFT enrolls about 50 students in the 1st year. The number of applicants is higher than the College can accept, and many applicants are rejected. By the second year, there are about 30-40 students in the program, the rest having been dismissed from the program. The Wanakena campus currently enrolls 40 to 50 second year students, who have already completed their first year courses at another institution.

* Faculty members - MCFT has twelve faculty members, including the Executive Director, titled "instructor" or "field instructor". Faculty members have professional degrees and certifications for their respective professions. Each of the faculty members has had some professional experiences prior to joining the faculty. Some instructors have had formal training in teaching. Like the Wanakena program, most teaching development mostly occurs "on the job".

Also like the Wanakena program, faculty members are very passionate about their teaching responsibilities, present excellent material using effective methods, and are personally concerned about the success of their students.

One significant difference between our two programs is the absence of tenure at MCFT. Also, the academic ranks at Wanakena range from Instructor to Professor.

In addition to the faculty, MCFT also has a full-time recruitment officer. This individual meets with prospective students in various schools throughout the region, describes the program at MCFT, and encourages good quality students to attend the College.

* Location - The MCFT campus is immediately adjacent to Fredericton, the capital of New Brunswick. It is quite literally within walking distance to a Walmart, and much of downtown Fredericton. First-year students are required to live in residence. Second-year students, however, may live off campus if they choose. Social interactions with other colleges or the nearby community are very great.

In contrast, the Wanakena campus is within walking distance of one of the largest wilderness regions in the eastern United States. Its remoteness makes it very difficult, if not inadvisable, for students to live off-campus. Social interactions for our students are highly dependent on in-house activities provided by the school or by the student class structure.

* School Forest - MCFT has two forest laboratory locations, the Noonan Woodlot and the UNB Forest. The Noonan property is about a twenty-minute drive from campus, while the UNB Forest is immediately adjacent to the College, within walking distance for the students. Neither property is directly owned or controlled by MCFT, making them subject to changing management plans. The UNB property is open to the public, and is undergoing significant land-use changes. This situation contrasts with the Dubuar Forest in Wanakena, which is dedicated to use by Ranger School students and which is under strong management control by the Ranger School faculty.

MCFT is currently in negotiations to acquire rights (degree of exclusivity is being negotiated) to a property (referred to as Kingsclear, part of the provincial tree nursery lands) that is being returned to Crown land ownership.

* Forest types - The New Brunswick forests are significantly composed of softwoods, principally spruce and fir. Local softwood-dominated industries affect the choices of silviculture and forest management practices. This is in contrast to the forest types and silviculture practices on the Dubuar Forest, which include a balance of natural hardwood silviculture, artificial softwood plantations, and a small percentage of spruce-fir wetland forests.

* Facilities - The MCFT campus is associated with the Hugh John Flemming Forestry Centre, which also includes offices for the Canadian Forest Service, the University of New Brunswick's Tweeddale Center for Forest Industrial Research, and the New Brunswick Provincial Department of Natural Resources. Professional contacts are almost "built into" the MCFT program, due to its proximity to other agencies. The ESF Ranger School, by contrast, is the principle user of the Wanakena Campus and Dubuar Forest. At Wanakena, offering the conference and lecture rooms, computer facilities, extra dormitory space, and other facilities to external agencies for their occasional use encourages professional contacts.

Additionally, the MCFT campus itself rents office space to the New Brunswick Maple Producers Association, The Tree House (non profit entity that supports environmental education efforts such as Envirothon), Infor which is a provincially funded private land extension service and the New Brunswick Blueberry Association head office.

Classroom space - MCFT has two main classrooms, approximately equal in size, which are dedicated for either the first-year students or second-year students. As at Wanakena, lectures are offered during the morning hours to each class, while field labs are held in the afternoon. MCFT also has a number of specialized indoor laboratories, (dendrology; wildlife), approximately twice the capacity of the Wanakena Campus.

MCFT has a large-equipment storage facility, similar to Wanakena's Maintenance Shop, housing skidders, other large equipment, chainsaws, brush cutters, herbicide sprayers, etc. This facility, too, is approximately twice the size the one at Wanakena.

* Academic program - The main degree offered at MCFT is a "Forest Technologist Diploma (3)", corresponding with the A.A.S. degree offered at Wanakena. Another option which students may pursue is the "Advanced Diploma" in Fish and Wildlife Technology. To complete the Advanced Diploma, students must satisfactory complete requirements for the Forest Technology Diploma AND achieve a minimum grade in a number of fish and wildlife courses, AND complete a Fish and Wildlife practicum during the summer, AND complete a number of certifications offered outside of the College (4). This advanced diploma is earned by completing a body of work above and beyond the work that's expected for a standard diploma.

The Fish and Wildlife degree fits well with the forestry program at MCFT probably because fisheries (and wildlife) are also major industries in New Brunswick. As land management practices may have an impact on the fisheries industry, forest management practices are also regulated for their effects on fishing and wildlife. This provincial-wide (actually, regional-wide) interdependence between the forestry industry and the fishing industry almost necessitates a fish and wildlife Advanced Diploma. Industries in New York, having a similar mutual dependence, may include land surveying, recreation, arboriculture, and environmental conservation.

All MCFT students also have to complete a faculty-approved Work Practicum during the summer following their first year. This is a pass-fail requirement. The work requirement for students at Wanakena is built into the academic program and is evaluated as part of the students' grades.

MCFT has a very well established, highly respected and extremely successful Continuing Education department. Its original intent was to provide follow up training to graduates of the "old Ranger school". The courses put on by CE are directly in response to the expressed needs of its graduates and their employers. The Wanakena campus does not have a formal continuing education component.

MCFT currently has in place an articulation agreement with the University of New Brunswick Faculty of Forestry in Fredericton. By way of this agreement students from MCFT may enter into the four year BScF program at UNB and can receive up to the equivalent of two years of course credits. Each year between 10 and 15 graduates from MCFT continue their studies at UNB. The Wanakena Campus has a similar agreement with SUNY ESF, Department of Forest and Natural Resources Management, in Syracuse, New York. Many FNRM students enter the B.S. program with the expectation of attending the Wanakena Campus as their sophomore-year training.

* Alumni structure - There is not a strong alumni organization at MCFT, which greatly contrasts with significant alumni interactions at Wanakena. However, there is a New Brunswick Forest Technicians Association (www.nbfta.org) and a Nova Scotia Forest Technician Association (http://www.nsfta.ca) both of which seem to fit a similar niche. In addition to providing scholarship money and professional contacts for the students, these organizations also serve as mechanisms for continuing education in the Province.

Insightful Differences:

Other than geographic locations, perhaps the most significant difference between these two institutions is in the number of years students attend their respective programs. The SUNY ESF Ranger School program only offers the second year of a two-year program, requiring students to attend another institution as freshmen. MCFT currently offers a two-year program, having both first- and second-year students at its campus. (Prior to 2003, the Maritime Forest Ranger School offered a one-year program, with the additional requirement of a minimum 12 months work experience in forestry.) Now, having had six years experience with a two-year program, MCFT demonstrates how effective a two-year model might also work at Wanakena.

Some of the advantages of offering both first- and second-year programs at the same facility are:

1. Greater control of the course contents of the academic curricula (elective courses, for example, supplement material offered in the required courses)

2. Immediate assessment and quality control of course content and presentation (all course instructors engage in discussions of effectiveness and impact on student learning)

3. Reinforcement of basic skills learned during the first year (such as tree identification) with applied field labs held in the second year.

4. Support of the 1st year students from the 2nd year students (2nd year students, knowing how challenging the 1st year was, assist their classmates complete their work)

5. Continuity of traditions and discipline between classes (2nd year students, knowing the discipline from the 1st year, the loss of classmates due to poor grades, etc. expect that the same treatment will be imposed on incoming classes)

6. Continuity of student body leadership

7. Richer professional interactions between 2nd year students and the faculty

8. New student orientation facilitated by 2nd year students

9. Students demonstrate greater pride in the quality of their work, resulting in increased loyalty to the school as alumni.

Conclusions/follow-up

The visit to the Maritime College of Forest Technology at Fredericton resulted in renewed professional ties between two very similar schools. The visitor was cordially received, both by the faculty and by the students (Go Swamp Donkeys!). It gave us the opportunity to brag about our successes, complain about our problems, and share with each other our thoughts about teaching, the roles of forest technicians (technologists), and other issues affection our professions. A "turn-about-is-fair-play" reciprocal visit will occur later this year when David McDonald visits the Wanakena campus and gets for himself some first-hand experience in comparing institutions.

This was a valuable experience. It resulted in personal development for the visitors, a greater appreciation of the value of their education by students, and a stronger perspective for everyone of the role of forest technology education in the modern professional world.

Footnotes:
(1) 257 Ranger School Road, Wanakena, NY 13695; 315-848-2566; bridgen@esf.edu

(2) 1350 Regent Street, Fredericton, NB E3C 2G6; 506-458-5124; dmcdonald@mcft.ca

(3) In order to graduate as a Forest Technologist, students must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 65%. Failure to do this results in dismissal from the program. Students can graduate from the 2 year program carrying one failed credit (some restrictions apply) as long as their cumulative average is 65% or greater.

(4) ADVANCED DIPLOMA Students who choose to pursue the Advanced Diploma in Forest and Fish & Wildlife Technology must meet the following academic conditions:

A. Successful completion of all requirements of the Forest Technology program

B. Achieve a grade of 65 percent or better in the following Fish & Wildlife courses:

1. Non-MCFT delivered courses (see below)
2. Fish & Wildlife Techniques I (Mid-August)
3. Fish & Wildlife Techniques II
4. Fish & Wildlife Techniques III
5. Wildlife Winter Field Camp

C. Maintain a minimum cumulative weighted average of 65 percent in all Fish & Wildlife courses.

D. Successfully complete a Fish & Wildlife field project to be completed during the summer practicum.

E. Obtain certification in the following non-MCFT delivered courses: Firearm Safety, Restricted Firearm Safety, Hunter Education, Trapper Education, Bowhunter Education, and Nuisance Wildlife Operator