Satsop Park’s trees help grow future foresters

 

The students, who came from seven different regional high schools – Aberdeen, Elma, Toutle Lake, Puyallup, South Kitsap, Willapa Valley and Wake Robin Education Center – were competing in the third annual Forestry Career Development Event put on by Satsop Park forester and Grays Harbor Community College forestry instructor, Todd Bates. Bates was assisted by 17 of his college students who take the college forestry class through Grays Harbor College and Centralia College. 

 

“The event was great,” said Bates. “We had ideal weather, excited students participating, excellent help from my forestry students and a perfect setting for the competition!”

 

The event included many challenges – everything from identifying parts of a chainsaw to testing map reading skills to identifying various trees from their branches and tree disorders from pictures.

 

Gathered in teams of three or four on the brisk but bright day, they used their tools and their heads to try to come up with the correct numbers. 

 

    “The new students have a hard time with the Timber Cruising station – and to a lesser degree the Compass and Pacing station,” said Bates.

 

“For some of them, this is their first exposure and these require practice in the field and a basic understanding of what they are doing. Once they have done it a few times it is rather routine,” he said.

 

Bates said these kinds of competitions are helpful to high school students because it gives them an opportunity to practice what they have been learning in class.

 

“They see that there are some practical elements to forestry. This could lead to a future job or a potential career pathway,” he said.

 

While this region isn’t cutting and processing timber like it used to, foresters are still needed, Bates said.

 

“Trees keep growing. Landowners still have obligations on their property that require the skills of a forester and technician. Even if you do nothing your whole life in your forest there will still have to be an inventory taken and the value assessed as part of the probate of your estate,” said Bates.

 

Also, various private and governmental agencies need people to help assess the health of their forestlands and plan if and when some timber should be cut.

 

In fact, Bates himself is the forester for the 1,200 acres of forestlands that buffer Satsop Business Park. Who would have thought that a former nuclear power plant construction site would need a forester someday? 

 

“We want to be good stewards of our land and manage them for the long-term health of our forests, for habitat enhancement and produce modest income to support the Park’s ongoing redevelopment,” said Tami Garrow, CEO of Satsop Business Park.

 

“The partnership with Grays Harbor College is a win-win because we needed someone to manage our forestlands and the college wanted to start a new program. Our dollars help the college achieve its goals and Todd and the students help us achieve ours. We would love to engage the local colleges, vocational schools and skilled trades programs in similar opportunities at the Park,” 

she said.

 

“This place is all about thinking outside the box, leveraging partnerships for mutual benefit and looking at the Park’s variety of physical infrastructure and unique structures as opportunities to try new things,” Garrow said.

 

“Having Todd Bates as a forester here has been a great success for Satsop Business Park and the Grays Harbor College forestry program,” said Garrow. “And we love it that he can also use the forest for programs like this for high school students interested in forestry.” 

 

The high school students seemed to love it too. This year’s group of participants was the largest so far and many said they are looking forward to coming again next year.