Alumni Association Homecoming
Forestry, Wildlife, & Fisheries
School of Renewable Natural Resources
- When: Satudary, 26 April 2014
- Where: RNR Bldg
- Schedule of Events:
- 11:00 am -- Registration & Coffee
- 1:00 pm -- Alumni Assoc. Business Meeting
- 1:00 pm -- Spouse Program
(led by Dr. Fontenot, Burden Res. Ctr.) - 3:00 pm (approx.)-- Fried Fish Supper
$12/adult, $5/child under 12 - 7:00 pm -- LSU vs. Tennessee baseball game
- Download Information on Spring 2014 Homecoming (pdf)
- Download Registration form
We Hope to See You There!
Students Represent the Future of
Agriculture in D.C.
BATON ROUGE, La. – Two LSU College of Agriculture students were among the nearly 100 college students from across the country who celebrated National Ag Day (March 25) with agriculture and political leaders in Washington, D.C.
Kasie Dugas, a senior majoring in forestry and wetland’s science from Broussard, and Brittany Doise, also a senior and majoring in ag business from Elton, represented the LSU Collegiate 4-H chapter on the trip. The event was hosted by Farm Credit, and students in attendance represented FFA, 4-H and AFA.
The two say they were chosen by LSU AgCenter 4-H youth development program leader Mark Tassin because they were former 4-H members and currently members of Les Voyageurs, which is the recruiting arm of the LSU College of Agriculture.
“This was an opportunity for us to meet with our congressional delegation and to show them that we are interested in agriculture and that we take the future of agriculture seriously,” Dugas said.
These two young ladies were excellent representatives for the College of Agriculture, said Mark Tassin, director of youth programs for the LSU AgCenter.
Tassin said this was an opportunity for two of the top agriculture students at LSU to meet with college youth throughout the United States to discuss the future of agriculture.
“With bright minds like Kasie and Brittany, I feel the future of agriculture is positive,” Tassin said. “This was an opportunity for them to have input from a Louisiana perspective.”
While on the trip, the two visited the U.S. Capitol, took a tour of the White House and met with Congressman Charles Boustany and Senator David Vitter.
“When we got there on the first day, Sunday, we got to know each other,” Doise said. “On Monday we had training sessions where USDA partners and legislative aids discussed their roles.”
Breakout sessions were part of the training, where people talked about agriculture issues within their states.
Some states brought people from all three organizations. They were from different parts of the states and didn’t know each other, so the breakout sessions were helpful, Doise said.
Part of the training was provided by industry professionals who discussed how to talk to politicians about agriculture.
“Our role was to thank our congressional delegation,” Dugas said.
Dugas said they went on the congressional visits on Tuesday. “We got to speak with Congressman Boustany and we had a short visit with Sen. Vitter.”
Dugas said the meeting was designed to show that the millennial generation is involved in shaping the future of agriculture and to show Congress that the students are the future of agriculture.
“Since forestry is the No. 1 agricultural industry in the state and my major, that’s what I talked about,” Dugas said.
Doise said because her father is a rice farmer, that’s what she talked about.
Both students say 4-H has had a major impact on their lives. They plan to enroll in graduate school after graduation.
--- by Johnny Morgan, LSU AgCenter | permalink
Students Spend Spring Break
Restoring Wetlands
For the sixth consecutive spring break, Andy Nyman, professor of wetland wildlife management (LSU School of Renewable Natural Resources) and his service-learning students spent Spring Break differently from those students flooding the beaches of Florida. (Photo courtesy of Paul Babineaux)
Nyman’s team traveled to the Pass A Loutre Wildlife Management Area at the mouth of the Mississippi River to conduct wetland restoration projects.
Nyman began going on this Spring Break trip in 2009, when he and eight University students headed down the Mississippi River to plant Black Mangroves in hopes of holding nutrients in the vegetation that is abandoning, or backing up, along the bottom of the river.
Nyman explained this abandoning is affecting the amount of land and marsh in Louisiana and the course that the Mississippi River will flow into the Gulf of Mexico. Nyman, who grew up in New Orleans, said the Black Mangroves have been missing from the area since Hurricane Katrina, and because of the missing trees the water has become increasingly saltier, causing more and more vegetation to die each year.
The Pass A Loutre Wildlife Management Area has hosted the University’s students each year on its manmade island, and Nyman said the Spring Break trip would not be possible without the help of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
This year, the trip has increased its number of students from eight to 12, which has increased the number of trees that can be planted, along with other activities involving erosion and vegetation research.
Nyman and the students departed on April 14th Monday at 8 a.m. and will remained at the South Pass until Friday.
Nyman said the main goal for these trips is to enjoy Spring Break in a different way by appreciating the beauty of the area while trying to manage the abandoning vegetation problem. Nyman explained the crew is not trying to stop erosion but rather trying to help the area last longer.
Nyman said students going this year also aimed to continue some of the vegetation conservation projects outside of planting the Black Mangroves. Recently, Nyman and his team have created fences among the marsh to keep hogs from damaging the vegetation further. These enclosures have drastically improved the survival of the vegetation that restoration projects have helped build.
Posted: Thursday, April 10, 2014 9:18 pm | Updated: 11:30 pm, Thu Apr 10, 2014. | Paul Babineaux | Daily Reveille
Congratulations to Xi Sigma Pi Initiates
On March 28, 2014, four undergraduates were initiated (left to right): Raymond Andrews, Anna Claire Ferchaud, Emily Sloane, and Christian Rossi. On April 2nd, Dr. Emile Gardiner, USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station, presented the Annual Xi Sigma Pie Apple Pie seminar; the title of his presentation was Outlook for forests in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley. Other photos from initiation and the Annual Xi Sigma Pie Apple Pie seminar are available on our Gallery page.
Kasie Dugas was the 2014 winner of the $1000 Xi Sigma Pi Scholarship Award. She represented LSU to compete against applicants from seven other universities in the West Central region. Congratulations, Kasie! LSU has been doing very well in receiving this prestigious award, winning six times in the last twelve years. Recent winners are: 2002: Benjamin Hogue; 2004: Angela Secott; 2006: Matthew Reed; 2009: Ian Stone; 2010: Lauren Smith; 2014: Kasie Dugas;
Xi Sigma Pi, forestry honor society, was founded at the University of Washington on November 24, 1908. The objectives of Xi Sigma Pi are to secure and maintain a high standard of scholarship in forestry education, to work for the improvement of the forestry profession, and to promote a fraternal spirit among those engaged in activities related to the forest. Currently, Xi Sigma Pi has expanded its objectives to include honoring the academic achievements of students in fisheries, environmental, and wildlife sciences.
-- Quick News --
- Forestry Students competed in the 57th annual Southern Forestry Schools Conclave at Virginia Tech. Conclave was held on 13-15 March. The students made a good showing, and had a great time. Details and a photo can be seen on our Student News page.
- The 2013 TAMU Vice Chancellor’s Public Service in Forestry Award is presented to Lee McNeely, (RNR BSF, 1980) by Texas A&M Forest Service. The details are on our Alumni News page. Congratulations to Lee.
- LSU Adjunct Professor and Alumnus Dr. Chung-yun Hse (MS Forestry, 1963) has received the International Science an Technology Cooperation Award in China. The details are on our Alumni News page. Congratulations to Dr. Hse.
- The Student Chapter of Society of American Foresters (SAF) has a new way to keep you informed, share their news and events, and keep in touch: They now have a Facebook page. LIKE their page, and keep up with all the latest! Support your local (student) Foresters!
- What's new in the School of School of Renewable Natural Resources? Want to learn more about our Program? Check out the "Message from the Director"
- Arborist Workshops 2014: The new additions to the early 2014 schedule are posted and registrations are open. For more information, see our Workshops page.
- Attention, Forestry Majors: SAF has released a new "Guide to Forestry and Natural Resources Programs" that is designed to help those interested in a forestry career learn about SAF-accredited forestry programs and assist them in choosing the right one. Get the link to the guide on our Student News page.
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