Weyerhaeuser officials delivered a check for $5,000 to Sweet Home High School last week for its new Forestry Club.
Sophomore Kori-Lin Bishop, Principal Pat Stineff and club advisers Karla Burcham and Dustin Nichol received the check from Rick Smith, unit manager at Weyerhaeuser’s Foster plant, and Tony Ramm, superintendent at Foster.
The new club received approval at the last District 55 Board meeting, in February.
At this point, the club is expecting up to 30 students to join, Burcham said, based on those who have expressed interest.
Bishop is the state secretary for Associated Oregon Forestry Clubs. She came to Sweet Home High School this year from Philomath, where she was part of the local forestry club.
She became a state officer in May and will serve until May.
“Jim (Cota) and I had just talked about it for years,” Burcham said. Burcham works with Kori’s Mom for Weyerhaeuser, and she knew about Burcham’s interest.
That connection led to an effort to get the club up and running at Sweet Home High School.
“I think that forest management is really important,” Bishop said. It’s about much more than forestry. It also involves leadership training. For example, in her position in the club, she teaches other students about public speaking.
Students also learn more technical skills in a series of classes and activities connected to the club, she said.
“I think it keeps a lot of kids off the street and out of trouble,” she said. “It keeps kids’ grades up.”
Part of the motivation to maintain grades is six forestry skills competitions held each year, which can range from power bucking to tree identification.
“The next one that’s coming up is in Philomath on the 17th,” Bishop said.
This year, she will be the only Sweet Home student competing there.
Last year, she competed in crosscut, power bucking, choker setting, ax throw, molly splicing, first aid, tree identification and tool identification, earning several ribbons.
In Sweet Home, the new club is focused on “fund-raising and getting more kids involved,” Bishop said. “I talk to kids, I just tell them what we do. Some kids think it’s an easy A, but it’s not. You have to work hard to get what you want.”
Classes for credit include Forestry I and Forestry II, in which students learn the basics in a classroom setting. They move on to School of Forestry and Forest Management later and work in the field for other people, applying what they’ve learned in the forestry classes.
Sweet Home had a forestry program previously, Bishop said. “I’m glad to get it (going) again.”
The club is trying to raise at least $15,000, Burcham said. With Weyerhaeuser’s donation, the club is still looking for another $10,000 in cash or equipment and supplies.
For information or to help out, call Burcham at 401-3339.