The students enrolled in the Wood Processing and Excelsior Engineering classes at Pine Bush High School took a very local field trip into the woods behind PBE. Teachers and community volunteers came together to support the students and facilitate experiences demonstrating how lumber goes from stump to finished products in one day.

 

 

Students learned about a variety of topics and gained skills related to the forestry and lumber industry.  Students started out the day learning about forestry and the logging industry with a focus on sustainable forestry, forest management, and low impact logging.

 

 

Students along with Patrick Dolan, a professional forester/logger, decided which trees should be cut down and why they chose those trees. Dave Gibaldi, along with volunteer teamster Tom Hausmann from C.N. Wood, taught students about low impact logging with the use of draft animals.  Demonstrations and activities were joined by Molly and Maggie, Mr. Gibaldi’s team of draft mules, which showed students how some people still choose to work in the woods.

 

 

After trees were chosen, cut, and skid to the landing, students were led in demonstrations and hands-on training using a portable sawmill. The lumber milled on site was then sent to our mobile woodworking lab where student teacher Aidan Cuppett worked with students to build Viking chairs. By the afternoon there were three crews of students doing some final clean-up in the woods, running the sawmill, and building chairs.

 

Special thanks to Ken Marshall, Neil Lisberg, and Ellen Friel for their help in making the day a huge success.