News
SAF Contribution recognized at North Woods dedication
As part of its Earth Week activities, Santa Fe College in Gainesville dedicated a small campus woodland as the North Woods Conservation Area. Florida SAF's Suwannee and Student chapters were recognized as helping to spark the move to pledge permanent protection for the site. The event was given front page coverage by the Gainesville Sun.
SAF involvement will continue through the development and implementation of a management plan for the property. Specific activities are likely to include control of invasive exotic plants and establishment of interpretive trails.
 Above, Suwannee Chapter chair Bud Mayfield. Upper right, Santa Fe College President Jackson Sasser. Bottom right (foreground), Professor Craig Gillikin, faculty leader for the project. |
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Big Bend Chapter's Spring Meeting: A Little Touch of Heaven on Earth
For decades, thanks to urban sprawl and a booming real estate market, many of the large estate plantations in the southeastern US have been sold, subdivided, and developed, losing much of their southern charm and ecological value in the process. On March 24th roughly a third of the active members of the Big Bend Chapter attended the Spring Meeting at the Centerville Conservation Community (CCC) near Tallahassee to hear about this trend from Jon Kohler, the founder and president of one of the top plantation brokerage firms in the south, Jon Kohler & Associates.
Mr. Kohler feels that plantation property developers should be able to provide residents a clean, quiet place to live without sacrificing its natural beauty. He points to the Centerville Conservation Community as prime example of how such a concept can work.
The Centerville development, the first of its kind in the Tallahassee area, is managed under a conservation easement philosophy, in which residential development is limited to just 200 homesites on the entire 975-acre property. Additionally, the two lakes on the property are protected from house structures and out buildings by wide buffers which are to be left undisturbed. The remaining 70% of the property is set aside for conservation purposes; managed according to a pre-developed Resource Management Plan. The Plan allows for reasonable timber harvesting, prescribed burning, and reforestation. All management activities are subject to final approval by the CCC Homeowners Association.
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Presently, although 45% of the homesites on the property have been sold, only 10 homes have been constructed so our group pretty much had the Lake House Community Center to ourselves. There we relaxed in the serene ambience of Lake Pisgah and enjoyed good food, an informative program, and the company of fellow members and friends.
We thank Mrs. Erica Hanway, of the Plantation Marketing Group, and Jon Kohler for their time and hospitality in allowing us to use their facility for our meeting.
Chapter activities in the near future will include the second in a year-long series of “Chapter Chat” sessions, this time in the Madison area, on May 1st; another Chapter-wide meeting is scheduled for May 28th. The topic and location of the May 28th meeting will be announced shortly.
Suwannee Chapter leads "Bio-Blitz" in Santa Fe College North Woods
From left, Scott Crosby, Dave Fox, Bud Mayfield, Patti Anderson, Mae Kiggins, Jay Harlan, Craig Gillikin,
Sture Edvardsson, Alan Long, and Luis Ramos
Members of the Suwannee Chapter joined with a team from Santa Fe College to conduct a vegetation inventory of the North Woods Conservation Area on the main campus of Santa Fe College in Gainesville. The inventory was to collect base data that will be used in the development of a management plan for the five acre woodland. The North Woods Conservation area will be officially designated by the college during a ceremony to be held on April 20,2009. The area will support the biology department as an outdoor classroom and will have interpretive paths for general use.
Chapter chair Bud Mayfield, SFRC student services coordinator Mae Kiggins, Santa Fe College biology professor Craig Gillikin, and Charlie Houder organized the event. They were joined by Suwannee Chapter members Scott Crosby, Dave Fox, and Alan Long. Botanist Patti Anderson who works with Mayfield was recruited to help with the identification of understory plants. In addition to Gillikin, faculty members Sture Edvardsson and Luis Ramos, and student Jay Harlan represented the college.
Participants divided into three teams to install plots along three transects across the property. The inventory used nested plots to sample overstory, shrubs and saplings, and ground cover. The teams were able to complete 15 of 23 planned plots. The remaining plots will be completed in the near future. The data will be used in the development of a geographic database and in the calculation of such ecological indicators as stand density, species richness and total biomass.
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 Left, Scott Crosby measures an invasive Chinese tallow. Above, Alan Long measures along a compass line. Right, Patti Anderson examines a ground cover specimen. |
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In preparation for the inventory, Charlie Houder of Suwannee River Water Management District along with fellow district employees Bob Heeke and Terry Demott, all Suwannee Chapter members, spent an afternoon collecting data for a GIS basemap of the property. Ryan Warne of the Gainesville firm GIS Associates, Inc. donated technical assistance for the project.
Outstanding SFRC students receive recognition
Two students from the UF School of Forest Resources and Conservation were recognized at the annual year-end awards banquet held at Austin Cary Memorial Forest on March 28. The Florida Division of SAF in conjunction with SFRC picks one Junior and one Senior who have outstanding academic records as well as demonstrated qualities of leadership and service.
Mary McKenzie is the recipient of the Florida Division Rising Senior Forestry Student Award for outstanding academic scholarship, leadership, and potential. Her GPA as a Natural Resource Conservation major at UF/SFRC is 4.00. Mary is a member of Phi Theta Kappa Honors Society, the Biodiesel Club, Forensics team, and SAF, which she serves as President and Treasurer. She is currently working as a student intern for Dr. Michael Andreu and as an intern at the environmental consulting firm Environ. Her past work experience includes subcontracting for the environmental consulting firm Biological Research Associates. After completing her undergraduate studies, Mary would like to travel across the country to experience America's differences in geography, ecosystems, and culture. Then, she would like to pursue a Master's degree with research on water resource management or forest ecosystems management in either the Pacific Northwest or New England.
Dana Baucom receives the Florida Division Outstanding Graduating Senior in Forestry Award for academic performance and leadership potential in SAF. A Forest Resources and Conservation major, she has a GPA of 3.74. Dana is a member of Xi Sigma Pi, the UF Chapter of SAF, and the Forestry Club, for which she served as Vice-President and now as President. She has worked as a Legal Secretary, Loan Servicing Specialist, Restaurant Server, and Staff Sergeant in the Air Force, which included tours in Korea and Afghanistan and honors such as Distinguished Graduate and Airman of the Quarter. Dana is currently considering graduate school with a long-term goal of working with the Federal Government.
Suwannee and Student chapters conduct annual joint meeting
Liz Rameriz, Student Chapter chair, (top left) watches over one of the teams in the Quiz Bowl competition.
Members of the Suwannee Chapter joined with students from the UF School of Forest Resources and Conservation for what has become a rite of spring. The joint meeting held on March 19 at Austin Cary Memorial Forest featured a barbecue dinner followed by a "Quiz Bowl" competition.
Suwannee Chapter members representing three different forestry career paths then shared observation about their jobs. Matt Simpson of Natural Resource Planning Services discussed his career as a consulting forester. Steve Miller who heads the land management division for St. Johns River Water Management District discussed his experiences in public land management. Ed Barnard, long-time forest pathologist with the Division of Forestry, provided insights on a career specializing in forst health.
 Matt Simpson |
 Steve Miller |
 Ed Barnard |
