Members of the Forestry Club proudly count themselves among students seeking an unusual educational experience , and festivities honoring Louisiana’s state-wide Arbor Day, which occurs at a different time than the national Arbor Day in April, gave them a chance to show off their special skills.
Members of the Forestry Club participated in the celebration by providing demonstrations of traditional logging skills at the Barton Arboretum, an extension of the LSU Rural Life Museum grounds Saturday.
Niels de Hoop, associate professor in the School of Renewable Natural Resources and faculty adviser to the club, said the demonstrations give students an opportunity to convene and showcase the unique talents many forestry students develop.
“A lot of these activities of sawing and chopping go back to the old days of logging,” de Hoop said. “These days, much of logging is done by heavy machinery, but we want to keep these traditions alive.”
Even though the logging industry has evolved over the years, de Hoop said it’s important for students passing through the program to stay in touch with forestry’s roots.
“For the students, this is primarily a fun activity, but it is also important because skills like these bring together those of us in this profession,” de Hoop said. “Our students can travel to any school with a forestry program and they do the same things we do here. It gives us a common base.”
Hayden Carter, forest management sophomore, said being a part of the forestry program has allowed him to pursue an education in a field where he has a real passion.
“I grew up in a family where we were always out in the woods chopping stuff down,” Carter said. “So having a major where I can saw and chop and work with my hands, it is just a great experience.”
While the Forestry Club is primarily comprised of forest management majors, there are students who joined to find an outlet for their love of the outdoors.
Virginia Spencer, renewable natural resources sophomore, said she didn’t grow up learning forestry skills, but heard about the club and joined because she loves the outdoors.
“When I joined, I did not expect to be cutting logs and throwing axes, but the whole thing has been a blast,” Spencer said. “I love being outside, so really this was just a perfect fit for me.”
Spencer said the club provides an opportunity for students who want to expand their University experience beyond a classroom.
“I don’t think enough people really appreciate the outdoors,” Spencer said. “It seems that nobody wants to be outside anymore. They are always distracted by phones or TV. They’re too busy to enjoy the world around us. The club is just a way for us to be outside and do what we love.”

Gallery • 9 Photos

Angela Major

Tessa Gordon (left), age 8, and Zexuan Ma (right), age 7, dig a hole so they can plant a new tree in the ground during Arbor Day at Burden on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2014 at the Rural Life Museum.