FARMINGTON – Students in a forestry and wood harvesting program took advantage of a logging meet to show off the skills they’ve acquired. They placed in a majority of the events.

The juniors and seniors in Dean Merrill and Ron Hodgdon’s class at Foster Regional Applied Technology Center traveled to the University of Maine in Orono to participate in the 28th High School Logger’s Meet held last Thursday and Friday.

“It’s a tremendous opportunity for these students to demonstrate the skills they’ve learned to do these tasks,” Merrill said.

Merrill said he was proud of his students who behaved as gentlemen whether in the woods or in a restaurant during the outing.

While the students were in the classroom Tuesday with Hodgdon and guest speaker Richard Pierce teaching them about grading logs, Merrill was in his office touting his students’ successes.

Each team was judged by U-Maine students.

From pulp throw to tug of war, the Franklin County students earned first place.

They took several second and third places as well.

Justin Merrill placed second in the individual game of logging. That’s a huge event, Dean Merrill said. The six schools send one of their best students to compete in the game of logging skills.

They have to bore through a square cant with precision and release tension on a spring pole by shaving where the most tension is.

In the felling portion of the game, they have to give a felling plan to judges on how they propose to cut a tree. They have to give the hazards, the amount of lean, an escape route, hinge size of the notch and their overall cutting plan, Merrill said. Loggers have to judge where the tree’s going to hit and where the top will hit.

“Justin was within inches of both,” Merrill said.

The school also took home third place in the skidder obstacle course, which entails safety, precision around cones and decking the wood neatly.

During a break, the students said that they enjoy working outdoors and the hard work that forestry entails.

Most in the program are exploring career options. Some are considering starting their own logging business, like Issac Chick, 17, of Industry, while others are considering working with heavy equipment.

Wood harvesting isn’t the same as it was in the early years.

“It all depends on what you get into,” said Nate Childs, 17, of Farmington. “It’s a lot more mechanical now.”

Loggers in this program are learning the conventional way, he said.

Justin Merrill said the program provides real-life experiences.

“A lot of people don’t understand you’re actually cutting real trees and driving a skidder,” he said. “We’re actually running our own business.”

Except the school’s paying for it, and the students are not getting paid, he added.

dperry@sunjournal.com

Copy the Story Link