On Oct. 6, the Appalachian State University Timber Sports Team participated in the 23rd John G. Palmer Intercollegiate Woodsmen’s Meet held at The Cradle of Forestry Heritage Site in Western North Carolina. The annual meet is designed to foster forest management and promote sustainable tourism.
The meet was organized by Haywood Community College in Clyde. This year, it coincided with Forest Festival Day, an event commemorating the traditions and crafts of mountain living.
Appalachian was one of 10 colleges competing in archery, crosscut sawing, axe throwing, water boiling and more. While the team didn’t take home honors, the attendees were thrilled to participate.
“It was an absolute blast,” said senior sustainable development major Weston Medlock, who is from Olive Branch, Missouri. "It was one of the ultimate highlights of my college career.”
According to Ian Snider, a practitioner-in-residence in the Goodnight Family Department of Sustainable Development and the team’s advisor, the Timber Sports Team was developed in 2017 to help cultivate a forest management program within the department. He says the team also provides an avenue for individuals who are not sustainable development majors to foster their interest in forestry skills.
The Woodsmen’s Meet and Forest Festival Day are designed to bring together traditional artisans, exhibitors, forestry students and families to honor the creation of the Pisgah National Forest and forests around the world. This year, more than 2,000 attendees participated.
By Hmon Ksor
About the Goodnight Family Department of Sustainable Development
One of seven departments housed in the College of Fine and Applied Arts, the Goodnight Family Department of Sustainable Development at Appalachian State University prepares students to thoughtfully analyze human development while focusing on the applied practice of pursuing transformative, community-driven development and social change. It offers a Bachelor of Science degree in sustainable development with concentrations in agroecology and sustainable agriculture; community, regional and global development; and environmental studies; as well as a Bachelor of Arts and minor in sustainable development.
About Appalachian State University
Appalachian State University, in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The transformational Appalachian experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and embrace diversity and difference. As one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina system, Appalachian enrolls about 19,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.
Timber Sports Team
The Appalachian State University Timber Sports Team.