On
Saturday, March 22nd
at 9:00 AM, join us at the Shimek State Forest Headquarters just
outside Farmington. Forester John Byrd will be our host for a
morning of educational fun to learn more about the forest and how we
can help protect it.
By popular demand,
one of the topics of the morning will be tree identification. We
will also learn more about forest management and the Emerald Ash
Borer threat.
We will be
outdoors ---- come prepared for a short hike. FREE!
To
find the headquarters, from Hiway 2 in downtown Farmington, turn
North onto J56 or Pearl Street. Follow that road out of
town and in maybe a mile, the office will be on your left.
There will be a sign. The address is 33653 Route J56. Or check
Google Map.Please let John know if you plan to be
there---while not required, it would be helpful for him to know about
how many to expect. Just e-mail him at John.Byrd@dnr.iowa.gov
or call him at 319-878-3811 and
let him know if you plan to attend.
In the summer of 1996 I started as a seasonal employee at Lake Anita State Park. My initial decision was to become a park ranger --- I did not think anything about forestry. I spent one more year at UNI while talking to advisors from ISU and taking classes that I needed for transfer. So, in the fall of 1997 I enrolled in ISU, now seeking a degree in Forest Resource Management. Through the next 2 years I worked for a professor who was studying biomass in hybrid poplar for use as fuel in power plants. This was very interesting work dealing with genetics to find the most productive poplar trees through cross pollination and grafting techniques. As interesting as all the lab and field work was, I was still looking graduation in the face with no job offer.
In November of 1999, I interviewed for a position at Pathfinder’s RC&D in Fairfield. The position was for a consulting forester that would assist private landowners with tree planting, timber sales, forest management, and many other aspects of managing timber and land. The job was a dream come true plus now I had a job to move into the next month when I graduated. From December 1999 until April of 2005 I worked with many landowners and things were great. I learned a lot about southeast Iowa and forestry. An opportunity became available for me to advance my career as Area Forester at Shimek.
This is the point where it can be said that we know the rest of the story, but there are always opportunities for me to learn more with the diverse amount of management required in Shimek State Forest. My hopes and aspirations for Shimek are to make it the model for how things should be managed for the multiple use concept and to serve as a demonstration for anyone wanting to manage their land/timber.
Since I am not an equestrian, working with FOS volunteers has added another dimension to managing the forest for multiple uses. The volunteers have helped tremendously to improve trails and resources for equestrians while assisting us to protect Shimek resources.
Contact John at Iowa Department of Natural Resources, 319-878-3811 or john.byrd@dnr.iowa.gov
John gives Volunteers their work assignments
...AND...
works with them on the trails.
Friends of Shimek Board Profiles:
Continuing
our series about FOS Board Members: Shimek Forester John
Byrd, Board Advisor
My career as a forester started back
in spring of 1995. Oddly enough, I was a business student at
the University of Northern Iowa (UNI). I was leaving class,
business quantitative statistics (yuck), on a nice sunny and warm
day. Other students were running around playing frisbee,
basketball, sun bathing, etc. This was the point when I decided
sitting in an office was going to make me miserable.
In the summer of 1996 I started as a seasonal employee at Lake Anita State Park. My initial decision was to become a park ranger --- I did not think anything about forestry. I spent one more year at UNI while talking to advisors from ISU and taking classes that I needed for transfer. So, in the fall of 1997 I enrolled in ISU, now seeking a degree in Forest Resource Management. Through the next 2 years I worked for a professor who was studying biomass in hybrid poplar for use as fuel in power plants. This was very interesting work dealing with genetics to find the most productive poplar trees through cross pollination and grafting techniques. As interesting as all the lab and field work was, I was still looking graduation in the face with no job offer.
In November of 1999, I interviewed for a position at Pathfinder’s RC&D in Fairfield. The position was for a consulting forester that would assist private landowners with tree planting, timber sales, forest management, and many other aspects of managing timber and land. The job was a dream come true plus now I had a job to move into the next month when I graduated. From December 1999 until April of 2005 I worked with many landowners and things were great. I learned a lot about southeast Iowa and forestry. An opportunity became available for me to advance my career as Area Forester at Shimek.
This is the point where it can be said that we know the rest of the story, but there are always opportunities for me to learn more with the diverse amount of management required in Shimek State Forest. My hopes and aspirations for Shimek are to make it the model for how things should be managed for the multiple use concept and to serve as a demonstration for anyone wanting to manage their land/timber.
Since I am not an equestrian, working with FOS volunteers has added another dimension to managing the forest for multiple uses. The volunteers have helped tremendously to improve trails and resources for equestrians while assisting us to protect Shimek resources.
Contact John at Iowa Department of Natural Resources, 319-878-3811 or john.byrd@dnr.iowa.gov
...AND...
works with them on the trails.
