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"AAMU Student Chapter of SAF / ESA-SEEDS Campus Ecology Chapter" » Normal, Alabama
The Alabama A&M University Chapter is affiliated with the Center for Forestry and Ecology at the University. We chartered as an official student chapter of the Society of American Foresters (SAF) in 2002. This followed our university's accreditation with SAF in July 2002. We became a SEEDS Campus Ecology Chapter of the Ecological Society of America in 2003. In 2004, we joined the Association of Southern Forestry Clubs (ASFC).
The AAMU Chapter is dedicated to providing forestry and ecology students with opportunities to grow professionally in those scientific disciplines. At meetings, we discuss upcoming activities, have invited speakers, and occasionally meet with the local SAF Chapter of regular members. We routinely participate in environmental science activities, professional meetings, and competitive events for forestry students (quiz bowl at the national SAF convention and forestry field events and technical events at the ASFC forestry conclave). Above all, we strive to gain wisdom and uphold integrity to successfully conduct our scientific and management careers. We seek to improve ourselves and the world.
Plans for 2010-2011
1. Organize meetings and events to make efforts to recruit and involve students from other departments (especially Biology) as chapter members. At present, most students are from only one department at our university
2. Contribute additional help to the initiative to “green up” our campus by
a. starting a better recycling program
b. conducting a study on how increasing the energy efficiency and reducing energy waste (e.g., by installing automatic motion-activated light switches in halls and auditoriums) on campus will save resources for the university
c. working with the university to implement such energy and cost saving measures
3. Work towards funding and developing a forest ecology podcast
4. Work towards funding and developing a brief by-weekly blurb on the local public radio that presents a fact about the ecology how human lives depend on the health of the local and world ecosystems
5. Create an ESA SEEDS AAMU Chapter website where opportunities and ecology-related information will be posted
6. Continue our annual participation at the Earth Day event at the local Nature Preserve in April, 2011. Present ecological research equipment, materials about ecology, SEEDS, and about our chapter
7. Create a poster about ESA SEEDS, our chapter, and the many wonderful opportunities from SEEDS and display it at prominent places and at events
2010-2011 Officers:
Chantz Birch SAF Club President
Jeanette Williams SEEDS Chapter President
Cameron Dixon Vice President
Lorenzo Walton Treasurer
Elizabeth Varian Secretary
Mathias Wallace Parliamentarian
Jeanette Williams Historian
Activities of 2009-2010
- Attended the ESA Conference in Albuquerque, NM (travel award from the ESA SEEDS) – Aug 1-8, 2009
- Attended the ESA Eco-Ed DL workshop in Washington DC with financial support from the ESA
- Mentored one SEEDS student during the annual meeting – Aug 1-8, 2009
- Served as application reviewer for the spring 2010 field trip to El Verde LTER in Puerto Rico
- Organized and equipped the booth and led the participation of the chapter at the Earth Day event at the local Nature Preserve – April 17, 2010
- The co-advisor Dr. Stone advised students at SAF conferences and conclave.
Students:
Our SEEDS students planned and prepared the first annual “Forestry Fair” on our campus quad on April 21, 2010. Our club demonstrated conclave sawing and ax-throwing events, fire-fighting equipment, and forestry conservation displays to approximately 100 elementary school age children from the nearby community. The Forest Service also partnered with our students and faculty for this event that included a picnic and moon bounce for the kids.- Several SEEDS students participated in three Project Pond work days at Legacy Elementary School In November 2009, April 2010, and May 2010. They assisted faculty and grad students in seining and measuring fish with a new outreach collaboration with aquatic ecology research being conducted at AAMU. The also discussed a display of insect specimens and identified aquatic organisms in their campus pond. The event in April was reported in our local newspaper.
- Students and the faculty adviser participated in an event at the local Nature Preserve celebrating Earth Day. On display were numerous fire fighting tools including a flaming drip torch, fire rakes and safety equipment. Also on display were: tree cross sections and cores showing tree rings and the structure of the tree stem, tree planting tools, clinometers, basal area prism, compasses, GPS units, laser hypsometer-rangefinder, densiometer, Biltmore sticks, increment borers, sonar distance measuring equipment (DME), and many other forest ecology research and forest management tools and equipment – April 17, 2010
- The students competed in the annual forestry conclave event – an annual competition between schools with forestry programs in technical and physical skills related to forestry at the University of Arkansas, Monticello Mar 25-27, 2010
- Ten students helped host the Quiz Bowl and took part in the 2009 annual Society of American Foresters convention in Orlando, FL – Sept 30- Oct. 4, 2009.
- Six students attended the SE region SAF annual meeting and competed in the quiz bowl at Auburn University from Feb. 7-9, 2010.
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Faculty Advisors
Dr. Luben Dimov
Dr. Ryan Farr
