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 Dr. Daniel Unger, Kenneth Nelson Distinguished Professor of spatial science within Stephen F. Austin State University’s Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture, was awarded the 2019 Carl Alwin Schenck Award from the Society of American Foresters during the SAF National Convention held in November in Louisville, Kentucky.
The national award recognizes individuals who display a notable and sustained record of excellence in forestry education through outstanding service to the field and the development of dynamic, personal teaching methods.
“To be recognized by my fellow colleagues at the national level regarding my commitment to forestry education throughout my career is a humbling experience,” Unger said. “I truly enjoy interacting with the students on a daily basis.”
Unger is one of three SFA forestry professors who have earned the prestigious award. Dr. David Kulhavy, Laurence C. Walker professor of forest entomology, received the award in 2010, and Dr. Brian Oswald, Joe C. Denman Distinguished Professor of fire ecology, received the award in 2002.
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 The Society of American Foresters named Stephen F. Austin State University senior Kathryn Christensen as a 2019 Diversity Scholar and recognized the SFA student chapter of the SAF as one of the top three student chapters in the nation during the organization’s national conference held last month in Louisville, Kentucky.
The SAF Diversity Scholar Program is designed to promote leadership and create community within the SAF by encouraging the involvement of a variety of people in the profession. As the 2019 Diversity Scholar, Christensen participated in the organization’s Diversity and Inclusion Working Group and was paired with a mentor who works in the field of natural resources.
Christensen, a forestry major, said she advocates for expanding access to outdoor recreation in marginalized communities.
“My love for the outdoors came from my mother’s amazingly creative ways to get us in touch with nature on a budget,” Christensen said. “My past experiences of feeling left out because of the inability to afford camps, cruises and more luxurious ways of viewing nature has only fueled my passion for giving opportunities to those who find outdoor recreation unattainable.”
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 Dr. David Creech, Stephen F. Austin State University professor emeritus of agriculture and director of SFA Gardens, received the Charles Leonard Weddle Award for lifetime achievement in the field of Texas native plants from the Native Plant Society of Texas during its 2019 banquet in League City.
“Dr. Creech has spent the better part of the past 30 years including native plants in his classroom material at SFA, encouraging nursery professionals to include native plants and counseling landscape professionals to do the same,” said Kim Conrow, president-elect of the state board of the Native Plant Society of Texas.
Creech joined SFA as an assistant professor of horticulture in 1978 and was instrumental in the development of the Pineywoods Native Plant Center, SFA’s Mast Arboretum and the Ruby and Gayla Mize Azalea Gardens, as well as Jimmy Hinds Park. Creech’s dedication to the horticulture profession has been recognized through numerous other awards, including Honorary Membership Award for Lifetime Achievement through the Texas Nursery and Landscape Association and the Sidney Meadows Award for Distinguished Achievement from the Southern Region of the International Plant Propagator’s Society.
“This is really an award for all of SFA,” Creech said. “Our work with native plants at SFA Gardens goes back to the 1980s with our original focus on three endangered species — the Neches river rose mallow, Texas trailing phlox and Texas white firewheel. These three are still precariously hanging on in the wild but are quite secure in garden collections across the South due much in part to our work at SFA.”
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 The Stephen F. Austin State University student chapter of The Wildlife Society secured a three-way tie for fifth place during The Wildlife Society’s national quiz bowl held at the joint conference of the American Fisheries Society and The Wildlife Society in Reno, Nevada.
“Our team did well, but came up just short of Purdue University, the eventual national champions, in the 3rd round,” said Jake Hill, forest wildlife management sophomore and vice-president of SFA’s student chapter of The Wildlife Society. “The opportunity to compete at the national level against 18 other major schools from across the U.S. was truly a privilege.”
The SFA chapter also was recognized for their efforts in advocating for the adoption of the Recovering America's Wildlife Act (H.R. 3742). This bipartisan legislation seeks to make supplemental funds available for the management of fish and wildlife species of greatest conservation need as determined by individual state fish and wildlife agencies. Last year, the SFA chapter mailed more than 600 letters to representatives and lawmakers across the state expressing their support for the initiative.
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 Stephen F. Austin State University’s timbersports team, the Sylvans, won their fifth consecutive collegiate title at the annual Arkansas State Lumberjack Competition held during Timberfest in Sheridan, Ark.
SFA students placed first in the double buck crosscut, single buck crosscut, Jack and Jill crosscut, men’s bowsaw, underhand chop and axe throw.
“It matched last year as one of the Sylvans’ most dominant victories in Timberfest competitions,” Said Dr. Jeremy Stovall, professor of forestry and Sylvans faculty advisor.
Arkansas House of Representatives member Ken Bragg, an SFA alumnus and past Sylvans president, officiated the competition, which was organized by fellow SFA alumnus Karl Hansen, among others.
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 Stephen F. Austin State University’s award-winning timbersports team, the Sylvans, invites members of the community to see if they have what it takes to be a lumberjack or lumberjill at the 2019 Lumberjack Games, which will be held during SFA’s Homecoming from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26.
Dr. Jeremy Stovall, professor of forestry and the Sylvans faculty advisor, said campuswide lumberjack competitions were held in the past, but they have not taken place for at least a decade.
“From what we’ve heard, the original events had pretty diverse participation from all across campus,” Stovall said. “We’re trying to revive that SFA tradition.”
Teams of five will compete in a range of timbersports, including the axe throw, single and double crosscut sawing, caber toss and tug of war. Single individuals also may sign up as a free agent and be assigned to a team.
“A lot of people come to SFA and aren’t sure what it really means to be a lumberjack or don’t know SFA has a timbersports team,” said John Mike Arnett, forestry senior and Sylvans president. “I think it’s a great way to get our names out there and let people experience what it is like to be a lumberjack.”
Read more ...
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