Celebrations, community events, competitions and more

Forestry students and faculty are passionate about conserving and protecting forests and natural resources. They’re also passionate about putting their skills and knowledge to use in their local communities and around the world.

From finding the best shade tree on campus to helping Haitian farmers tackle challenges related to erosion, our forestry students are dedicated to educating and helping others through transformative outreach events.

Check out a few of our previous activities below:

Agroforestry in Haiti

Students from the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture traveled to Haiti with a local non-profit organization to work on agriculture and forestry-related outreach projects in two small, erosion-prone villages.

Learn more about the trip in this video.

Arbor Day

Students from the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture volunteer every year and assist with tree plantings around the region as part of Arbor Day celebrations. Through these reforestation efforts, students learn about tree and forest establishment techniques and more advanced students teach volunteers from the general public about tree planting. 

Controlled burn at The Todd Agricultural Research Center

The SFA chapter of the Student Association for Fire Ecology helped the Department of Agriculture conduct a controlled burn at the Todd Agricultural Research Center. The burn was used as a tool to control exotic and invasive vegetative material and foster the growth of new livestock and wildlife forage.

Check out footage from the controlled burn.

Forestry Outreach Day

Forestry Outreach Day is a community event focused on natural resource management and conservation. During the day-long event, SFA forestry students, faculty members and city and state officials present a variety of educational programs.

View drone footage of a past Forestry Outreach Day.

NacogdoTREES Competition

This unique contest encourages students, faculty and community members to explore the SFA campus and the surrounding community in search of competition-worthy trees.

Through this event, we encourage you to explore the over 700 combined acres of SFA campus and City of Nacogdoches parks and share the trees that are special to you. We also invite landowners in the Nacogdoches community to share trees located on their property they believe are worthy of recognition.

The event, scheduled from October 9 - November 20, 2020, is open to SFA students, faculty, staff and the surrounding Nacogdoches community. Prizes will be awarded to submissions from each category including an SFA Gardens Plant Sale voucher, t-shirts and more!

Categories include: tallest tree, best shade tree, largest trunk circumference and more.

Entry Form and Maps:

Tree Identification and Measurement Guides:

Silvopasture Demonstration Area

Thanks to a 2020 Conservation Innovation Grant from the Natural Resources Conservation Service, SFA’s Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture initiated the establishment of a 118-acre silvopasture demonstration area at the Walter C. Todd Agricultural Research Center.

“Silvopasture is an agroforestry practice that combines the production of trees with an understory component of forage for livestock,” said Jason Grogan, research associate with the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture.  

The demonstration area is unique in that it will provide landowners with insight into transitioning to a silvopasture system from a heavily forested area, as well as from bare pastureland.  

Learn more about the project.

Watch a virtual tour.

Silvopasture informational sheet.