forestry program...

.. over in Talbot County - just to the east of here. I picked up a flyer about it at the program at the Bradley Company several weeks ago. Where we learned about the process of blowing the dams on the river, including fascinating archeology. Along with plans for re-introducing the native shoals lily to some of the areas where the river goes over rocky, shoal-y places.

This event was sponsored by the GDNR/state forestry and local Chamber of Commerce. Oddly enough, this was how I choose to spend a good part of my day on Friday. It was definitely geared toward land owners, and I guess mostly people who lived in surrounding counties. There was a pretty good crowd of maybe sixty or so, not counting all the workers. This event would have been of special interest to farmers as well as the people who would already have, or be considering, planting pine trees to grow for harvesting timber, as well as straw for a short term cash crop.

A life-long forester who talked about the history and value of planting long leaf pines as opposed to different varieties that mature quicker to get to market sooner. A retired solider who talked about his business of eliminating unwanted wildlife: in particular feral/wild hogs. His talk was interesting, adding more to what I read in the newspaper. Making us all was aware of the problem nuisance porkers have become locally. I probably got more information that I wanted about how to eliminate these undesirables from land used to produce soybeans, corn and peanuts: major cash crops in middle and south Georgia. Also someone who is the area rep. for  The Nature Conservancy sharing info. about the value of preserving habitat for native species, both animals and plants.

I guess I went out of curiosity, interest in the environment, concerns about sustainability of our natural resources. There was a home-school family in attendance with two young sons, probably in their early teens; otherwise almost exclusively men in Carharts and camo., work boots and baseball hats with advertising for seed companies. And me in my sneakers, khaki pants and carefully chosen coordinating blue shirt.  Most of the females there were volunteers helping with registration and lunch, or young women who were with the environmental organizations represented. They will eventually be the leaders of these organizations, caring for and guiding preservation of our natural resources. Showing the world what caregivers look like, as they work towards sustainability.

They were going on a tour of the property after lunch, but I left to get back town, so missed out on seeing the forest land where the gopher tortoise lives, the place where the hog guys were set up with a demo. pen.. And a day of touring the piney woods. I did notice a place we passed between meeting facility and where we had lunch: where there had been a controlled burn and the ground was still charred, all the leaf mulch/duff had been burned off to bare dirt. It was covered with the growth of hundreds of bright green ferns -always the first thing to come back, showing signs of life after fire.