DIVISION OF NATURAL RESOURCES@ haywood community college

GREAT LEARNING OPPORTUNITY --- BIOFUELS FORUM

2006-12-05T13:52:00.000-05:00

The Land of Sky Clean Vehicles Coalition, Haywood County Soil and Water Conservation District and NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services are sponsoring an exciting forum entitled “Biofuels In Haywood County: A forum for potential users of biofuels”. The free program addresses the many questions of biofuel use in Haywood County. The Haywood Biofuels Forum is Friday, December 8, 2006, 1:00 to 3:30 p.m. in the downstairs auditorium at the Haywood County Agricultural Agency Center at 589 Raccoon Rd. in Waynesville, NC. Fleet mangers, school officials, farmers, and the public are invited to join with biofuel experts and local, state and federal government representatives at the Biofuels in Haywood County Forum. Financial support for the Forum is being provided by the State Energy Office.

Topics include an Overview of the Advantages and Statewide Status of Biofuels; Experiences with Biodiesel in fleets and equipment; Benefits to Farmers using Biofuels; Commercial Availability and Costs of Biofuels; and The Clean Cities Program and other Funding and Technical Assistance Programs. Special Guest Speaker will be NC Commissioner of Agriculture Steve Troxler.

Use of biofuels in North Carolina and across the nation is increasing. Biodiesel, a mixture of petroleum diesel and biologically derived diesel fuel, is available at some commercial gas stations or by delivery from biofuels distributors in the region. Biodiesel is commonly derived from soybeans or recycled restaurant grease. Although the fuel can be burned in a pure form (B100), most often it is mixed with petroleum diesel to provide B20 (20% biodiesel/80% petroleum diesel). Most diesel vehicles require no modifications to burn biodiesel. Another biofuel is ethanol blended with gasoline. The ethanol is derived from corn and added to gasoline to provide a product such as E10 that is 10% ethanol or E85 that is 85% ethanol. E10 can be used in any gasoline burning engine and E85 can be used in “flex fuel vehicles” provided by some major vehicle manufacturers at little or no additional cost.

Interest in biofuels in the US is shared by farmers, consumers, conservationists and entrepreneurs as well as many others who recognize the importance of national goals to reduce dependence on foreign oil and improve air quality. Some school systems have begun using biodiesel to reduce the hazards of exposing school children to the toxic emissions of petroleum diesel. Biofuels also present local opportunities for economic development.

To register or for additional information, please call Bill Eaker with the Land of Sky Clean Vehicles Coalition at 828-251-6622 or Gail Heathman with the Haywood Soil and Water Conservation District at 828-452-2741 (Extension 3).

SAMAB Conference

2006-12-04T15:12:00.000-05:00

The 17th annual Southern Appalachian Man and the Biosphere (SAMAB) conference was held last week in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. The focus of this years conference was Natural Resources and the Economy: Hand-in-Hand. The primary topics focused on this year were:

Biofuels
Sustainable Development
Invasive Species
Water
Research

The Natural Resources Division was highlighted for our collaboration with Neil Thomas (Resource Data, Inc) on developing ways of looking at landscape change at the watershed level and a watershed development index.

The hope is to take Neil's work in this area and develop training modules that can be offered through the college in a variety of ways: Curriculum, Continuing Education and more.

Choosing a location to attend college....

2006-12-02T11:38:00.000-05:00

Making the decision to study Natural Resources was a big step. Now that you have made that decision you need to figure out a place to attend. This can also be a daunting task. You want a place you feel comfortable at, with a reasonable cost of living, lots of opportunity for extracurricular activities, and, perhaps most importantly, a location that will enhance your studies and give you experiences locally that others might have to travel far to enjoy. There are many excellent colleges around the nation and world with program offerings in Natural Resources.

Haywood Community College is located in Western North Carolina, an area well-known for its natural beauty, Haywood County boasts many mountains over 6,000 feet, outdoor recreation of all kinds, and a small town lifestyle. Haywood County is bordered by the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway. Asheville is the nearest large city and is located only 30 minutes away. The College's 320-acre Raymond J. Fowler Conservancy and Teaching Forest and its 54-acre John T. and Catherine Beaty Natural Resources Classroom are used for surveying, data collection, and forest ecology. Moreover, Haywood's entire campus is a designated arboretum, with an impressive plant collection.

Recently (August 2006), National Geographic did a feature on this region that highlights the wealth of biodiversity and rich history of this region. Seasons of Smoke was a feature article on The Great Smoky Mountains in the "backyard" of Haywood Community College. This excerpt from the NG article will give you some idea of what living here would be like and what the opportunities for local study in Forestry, Wildlife, GIS, Horticulture, and other areas would be like.

"Surely these are, if nothing else, the most perfectly named mountains in the world. "Great Smoky Mountains": The words conjure fog drifting off a breathing canopy of trees, mist rising above a waterfall, the soft warmth of southern air. Perhaps, as well, the tang of barbecue chased down with moonshine whiskey. But whoever may have coined that poetic phrase, his identity, or hers, is lost to history. Some say it harks back to the Cherokee word for blue—shaconage—for these ancient summits seem cloaked in the woodsmoke of a thousand vanished council fires.

When its boosters brag about the qualities of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, they mention both its wildness ("the last great virgin forest in the East") and its proximity to civilization ("within a day's drive of more than a third of the U.S. population"). It seems an impossible paradox, especially as you inch your way through Gatlinburg on Highway 441 toward the park's busiest entrance, past an unbroken wall of motels, waffle houses, and T-shirt shops on either side. How could an area like this possibly contain some of the most verdant habitats and sublime mountain vistas in eastern North America?

Yet once inside the park itself—through which Highway 441 continues, but now as a kind of tunnel through lush foliage—it is clear that you have entered a different world. The park's 814 square miles (2,100 square kilometers), stretching in an oblong mass across the Tennessee-North Carolina border, put it nearly on a scale with great western parks like Yosemite. But visitors who come in search of Ansel Adams landscapes may be disappointed. They will find no glaciers here, no geysers, no heart-stopping canyons. There are, wrote one early traveler, Horace Kephart, "no ribs and vertebrae of the earth exposed. Seldom does one see even a naked ledge of rock."

Instead, these ancient, eroded mountains are covered by a living carpet of green. The vast wealth of the Smokies is in the region's profusion of animal and plant life—riches that have only recently begun to be fully appreciated. Since 1997, a coalition of scientists, naturalists, and citizen volunteers has undertaken a treasure hunt to identify and catalog every single species found in the park. The survey is the most ambitious and sustained effort of its kind ever conducted in North America.

So far the tally stands at 14,000 and counting—among them some 600 living organisms previously unknown to science, many of which probably exist nowhere else. Most of these are not what one would call "charismatic" species: They include snails, beetles, moths, and new types of algae. Still, scientists say the findings indicate a level of biodiversity rivaled by few other places on the planet outside the great tropical rain forests. And they believe that the Smokies' ultimate species total may reach ten times the current count."

Horticulture Holidays at the Shook House

2006-12-01T17:50:00.000-05:00

Officers of the HCC Horticulture Club along with Instructor George Thomas decorated the Shook - Smathers House for the Holidays and an upcoming wedding. You might also note the wonderful new turf that was installed by the students last spring. This is one of several community projects that the Horticulture students are involved in.

More info: Built in 1795, by Revolutionary War veteran Jacob Shook, the Shook House lies close to the Pigeon River in Clyde. It is one of the oldest if not the oldest house standing in Haywood County. Francis Asbury, famous traveling preacher who helped establish Methodism in the United States, stayed in the house in 1810. Revival meets were held in the attic and camp meetings were held on bottom land adjacent to the house. The original part of the house is of post and beam construction.

Blog Now Virtual Doorway to NR at HCC

2006-11-29T15:23:00.000-05:00

Geographic Location of Individuals visiting our blog over the last week.

You may have noticed that our Blog is now "the internet presence" for the Division of Natural Resources at Haywood Community College. We did this for several reasons. First, the Blog will allow all our faculty and professional staff to provide important information to current and prospective students very quickly.

The Blog also allows for two-way conversations through the comment feature. We work hard to build academic relationships with students and this will allow us to extend our reach well beyond campus.

Finally blogging is going mainstream. Lenhart and Fox (2006) report "thirty-nine percent of internet users, or about 57 million American adults, read blogs – a significant increase since the fall of 2005."

Let Us Know What You Think!
__________
Lenhart, A. and S. Fox. 2006. Bloggers: A portrait of the internet's new storytellers. PEW INTERNET & AMERICAN LIFE PROJECT 1615 L ST., NW – SUITE 700 WASHINGTON, D.C. 20036

Geospatial Technology Department

2006-11-21T08:36:00.002-05:00

What is Geospatial Technology? Geospatial Technology is the term that encompasses a broad range of technologies including Geographic Information Science (GISci), Global Positioning Systems (GPS), Remote Sensing, Photogrammetry and more.

The Geospatial Technology program provides a broad background in GIS and GPS technologies with practical applications in municipal, industrial, natural resources management, and other fields. Course work consists of class and hands-on experience with GIS/GPS technologies, including running and modifying current GIS software, creating and manipulating GIS databases, and operating GPS technology.

Students can expect to find employment opportunities in wide range of areas such as local, state, and federal government agencies, as well as in a wide-range of related scientific and technical fields, such as agriculture; archeology; cartography; ecology; environmental sciences; forestry; geography; hydrology and water resources; transportation; urban planning and more.

Examples of student work: Spatial Distribution of Surface Water Nutrient Concentrations for Nine Sub-Watersheds in Haywood County. Presented at the 2006 SERUG conference.

Other examples of faculty and student involvement in local community initatives through GIS and GPS support: Sustainable Development Projects with Haywood Waterways

The Geospatial Technology program has Trimble Certified Trainers and ESRI Authorized Instructors on staff.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, email bbishop@haywood.edu

Geospatial Technology Curriculum

NR Participates in HCC Opportunity Showcase

2006-11-16T16:09:00.000-05:00

Representatives from the Natural Resources Division participated in Haywood Community College's Opportunity Showcase. There were several hundred students from Haywood County middle and high schools. They were able to talk to NR Division instructors from all program areas and see a live Timber Sports Demonstration. There were also representatives from every other academic program present to meet with students. Additionally, there were several local businesses and government organizations that interacted with students and gave career advice. The Center for Teaching and Learning also had a booth with a great video to let prospective student know about their services.

Big thanks to all the natural resource instructors that participated (especially Shannon Rabby for organizing the Division showcase effort) and to the people behind the scenes that made the event possible like Matt DeLozier, Ken Hipps, Janice Gilliam, Rose Johnson, Bill Rhodarmer, and many more.

5 Myths About Community Colleges

2006-11-15T10:03:00.000-05:00

by Jennifer LeClaire
Article provided by FastWeb

Like most misconceptions, community college myths are based on elements of truth. But like most misconceptions, these myths lead to mistaken beliefs that could warp your ability to choose the right post-high school educational path for you.

It's the truth about community colleges that sets you free from the bondage of what some in educational circles call the "snob factor." In fact, the truth about community colleges flies in the face of some overblown stereotypes.

"There are many wrong assumptions about community colleges, but the top students at community colleges are among our country's greatest assets," says Joshua Wyner, vice president of programs with the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, an organization that focuses on community college student development.

Walt Disney went to a community college. So did renowned corporate executive H. Ross Perot, transplant surgeon Daniel Hayes, and NASA astronaut Eileen Collins. Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners and several governors also graduated from junior colleges. Recently, William D. Green, CEO of Accenture, wrote a column in Newsweek about how his time at Dean College, a two-year college near Boston, helped shape his career.

Nationally, 40 percent of all traditional-age college students start out at community college, according to the U.S. Department of Education. So let's bust five of the most common myths about community colleges and let the truth speak for itself.

Myth: Students only attend community college because they can't get in to a four-year university.

Fact: Statistics refute this assumption. It may be true that, on average, community college students have lower SAT and ACT scores than university students, but many students attend community college for convenience, family, job, or financial considerations.

"Community college makes sense, purely for economic reasons. We expect more students to use community colleges in the future because of the sheer cost of a university education," Wyner explains. Community college students save on tuition and also on boarding because they can live at home during the first two years of school.

Myth:A degree from a community college is not as good as a university degree.

Fact: A community college degree can take you straight into the workforce or to an elite four-year university. Community colleges educate 62 percent of allied health professionals and over 80 percent of law enforcement officers and firefighters, according to the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC).

"Community colleges are not inferior. It is the first choice for many students because the first two years of college are really exploratory anyway and it costs so much less," says Victor Somma, a spokesman for Quinsigamond Community College in Worcester, Massachusetts.

Myth: Community colleges are inexpensive, so the education is not high quality.

Fact: Community colleges may be less expensive than four-year universities, but that doesn't mean you sacrifice a quality education. Classes in honors programs at community colleges are smaller than university classes. The curriculum is often more in-depth and there is more open exchange between teachers and students.

"We are a brand name society. Community colleges tend to be the generic brand, but it's just as good a foundation as starting at a four-year university at half the price," says AACC spokeswoman Norma Kent. "Community college graduates have gone on to Ivy League schools."

Myth: Community college credits do not transfer to four-year universities.

Fact: The quality of community colleges is getting better all the time. There are more articulation agreements with four-year colleges for them to award credit for comparable courses taken at community colleges.

"You need to know what institution you want to attend, pay attention to their requirements, and choose your classes accordingly," Kent asserts. "The key is careful planning."

Myth: Community colleges have low academic standards.

Fact: While community colleges offer "open admission" that breeds diversity, all courses are not open admission. In fact, students usually have to take placement tests in order to qualify for college-level work. Technical and special programs have high standards and students compete to enroll.

"The idea that students go to community colleges because they can't hack it at a four-year university is ridiculous," Somma says. "We have stringent policies, but we also offer students the extra support they need to succeed."

Blog Outreach Power

2006-11-09T13:28:00.000-05:00

You may have noticed that recently NR Division Faculty have been reformatting the blog to serve as the living information center for current students, prospective students, faculty, alumni, and industry. We have added links and are now tracking contacts. You can see from the last week that we have already reached people locally and out-of-state.

We are also shooting for a more friendly face on the web for both traditional and distance education students. (Thanks Jenny -- for allowing your smiling face to serve as the gateway for division contacts). If you have suggestions or ideas on how to improve this instrument please let us know.

Round-Table Career Scramble at Mid Atlantic Farm Show

2006-11-04T12:22:00.000-05:00

HCC Instructors Shannon Rabby and Jim Hamilton travelled to Concord, North Carolina this week to speak to high school FFA and Ag students on careers in Natural Resources. The event was part of the Mid-Atlantic Farm Show held at the Cabarrus County Arena and Events Center. The event was organized as a "career-scramble": students were given 12 minutes to visit a table of their choice during an hour period. Shannon's Fish and Wildlife Management table was a hit with many hands-on items, including a fox skin and numerous carnivore skulls. Dead animals are always a big draw! Jim spoke about different career options in forestry such as firefighting, cruising timber, and urban forestry. Over 200 students from four counties participated.

Learning Objects Symposium a success

2006-10-31T12:04:00.000-05:00

The ABC's of Learning Objects Symposium held yesterday at AB Tech was a huge success. This collaborative, multi-institutional event was put on by AB Tech, Haywood Community College, Southwestern Community College, Tri-County Community College and Western Carolina University.

HCC had an especially strong showing at the symposium with more participants from our college than any other! Marlowe Mager gave a great introduction to the group on Learning Objects and Learning Object Repositories. Buddy Tignor and Lynn Gibbons-Beddow participated in the 'faculty showcase' portion of the symposium highlighting some of their innovative learning objects utilized the horticulture and english classes here at HCC. Amy Vester was part of the 'panel of experts' who fielded questions during the afternoon roundtable discussion. In addition to these folks, there were several other HCC faculty and staff in attendance at the conference!

From our very own Marlowe Mager - Learning objects, often called "sharable content objects," are digital entities that are used to teach a discrete lesson. They are modular, sharable, and reusable. Increasingly, they include searchable metadata. They are modular, in that they can be used independently of other instructional lessons. They are sharable, in that they can be passed on to others for use in completely different courses. They are reusable, in that they may be repeated across semesters and courses or even within a single semester. Metadata enables them to be searched for electronically according to any number of criteria and keywords.

North Carolina is in the process of building a state repository for Learning Objects that can be shared across colleges, curriculums and programs. If you'd like to learn more ... just ask!

Asheville Citizen Times Advert

2006-10-29T12:04:00.000-05:00

Always great to see good things on the front of the newspaper. On Sunday morning a 3" X 3" full color post-it note was on the front of the Asheville Citizen Times advertising our great traditional and online academic programs in the Natural Resources Division. Thanks to Debbie Davis for the excellent design and placement.

Opportunity Showcase in Hickory

2006-10-23T23:03:00.000-04:00

Matt Delozier and Buddy Tignor traveled to St. Stephen's High School in Hickory for the second annual Opportunity Showcase. The principal highly values community college and technical training opportunities and permitted every student in the school to visit representatives from over 15 academic programs between 8:00 am and 1:00 pm.
The Natural Resources programs in Geospatial Technology, Pulp and Paper, Horticulture, Forestry Management, and Fish and Wildlife were highlighted. Matt's new animated display was a big hit (the red arrow is pointing to the living image that Matt created as you are speaking with students the images of HCC students in action changes about every 20 seconds) as were the updated Division Brochures created by Dr. Jim Hamilton and Debbie Davis. We talked to about 75 students individually during the course of the day and were asked to return to present NR opportunites and dual enrollment information to the Guidance Counselors.

Horticulture Competition of the Carolinas

2006-10-23T22:54:00.000-04:00

HCC Student Frieda competes in the Plant ID exam. Without flowers, this is a real test of plant ID abilities.

There are tests and then there are TESTS! The Horticulture Technology Students Competed with 4 other community colleges in Wilkesboro. The exam based on the North Carolina Certified Landscape Technician Exam was judged by three extension agents with combined experience of nearly 90 years and upper management from two of the largest landscaping firms in North Carolina (New Garden and Bland Landscaping). These volunteers were not only tough-but-fair judges, but potential employers. Talk about pressure... Our students performed admirably in the individual events. The overall title went to Alamance Community College but HCC was the winner in 20% of the individual events.Team HCC. From Left to right (Buddy, Amanda, George, Brandon, Adam, John, Frieda, Dawn, and Julie)

Alamance Community College, Central Piedmont Community college, Catawba Valley Community College, and Mayland Community College also fielded teams. Wilkes Community College hosted the competition as well as competing. Special thanks to WCC Instructors Ron Dollyhite, Donna Riddle, and Wilkes students for all their efforts and work involved in hosting this great academic competition.

HCC Student Adam answers questions on the fly while planting a tree. A competition he would win. The extension agent in the background has been a nursery specialist for 30-years.

The Professional Certified Landscape Technician Exam takes place over two days and has an exhaustive written test along with 22 field exams ranging from plant identification and pesticide application to landscape plan reading and skidsteer operation.

Julie installs pavers during a timed competition. This exam takes an hour. The judge watches and grades the entire time.

The student competition has ten events that are identical to those in the CLT exam providing the students with not only the spirited opportunity for competition, but important preparation for the certifying exam. At least one student received a job offer on sight.

Next year the competition will be held at Haywood Community College. Both Bland Landscaping and New Garden Horticultural firms are extremely interested in judging and meeting more of our students and students from other community colleges. We will also be calling on our local horticultural professionals and extension experts to judge.

Horticulture Technology Program

2006-10-23T22:32:00.000-04:00

The Horticulture Technology Program is designed to prepare students for various careers in horticulture. Classroom instruction and practical laboratory applications of horticultural principles and practices are included in the program of study. Many of the courses are also now available online. Course work includes plant science, plant materials, propagation, soils, fertilizers, and pest management. Also included are courses in plant production, landscaping, and the management and operation of horticulture businesses. (Certificate, Diploma, and AA Programs)

Upon completion of the program, graduates should qualify for employment opportunities in nurseries, garden centers, greenhouses, landscape operations, gardens, and governmental agencies. Graduates should also be prepared to take the North Carolina Pesticide Applicator's Examination, the North Carolina Certified Plant Professional Examination and the Certified Landscape Technician's Exam.
The entire campus--a designated arboretum with an impressive plant collection--is a learning laboratory that allows students to directly apply their classroom knowledge. Our greenhouse, woody plant nursery, and orchard also serve as wonderful student resources.

"The greatest service which can be rendered (to a society) is to add a useful plant to its culture." --Thomas Jefferson

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT BUDDY TIGNOR at 828.565.4275 or mtignor@haywood.edu Description of Certificate, Diploma, and AA requirements in Horticulture Technology
Current Horticulture Technology Curriculum (requires free Acrobat reader)
Courses that Transfer to NC State (current agreement)

High Country High School Recruiting

2006-10-18T15:49:00.000-04:00

Haywood instructors Pete Kennedy and Jim Hamilton travelled this week to northwestern North Carolina and introduced students to Geospatial Technology and Forestry at Watauga and Avery High Schools. At Avery High School, students in Dewayne Krege's Turfgrass Management and Landscaping classes learned how to create mapping points using HCC's new GOXH mapping-grade GPS units. Rainy weather kept the classes inside at Watauga High School with Sarah Grim's Ag Science and Intro to Horticulture classes, but Jim spoke about different career options in forestry and fish and wildlife management while Pete sparked interest in mapping technology using Google Earth and Watauga County's GIS.

Kennedy and Hamilton also met with Watauga and Avery High School counselors and career offices to promote the introductory natural resources classes that will be offered online for the Spring semester for dual-enrollment. This will allow juniors or seniors interested in natural resources the opportunity to take these classes for college credit with no tuition costs. These courses will include: Intro to Forest Resources, Wildlife Management, Intro to GIS, Intro to Horticulture, and Intro to Pulp and Paper Technology. For more information on this option, contact: 828.627.4560

Haywood Lumberjack Team Wins Cradle of Forestry Competition!

2006-10-09T20:06:00.000-04:00

Competition was fierce and the tournament came down to the wire, but the 'Lumberjack Team' from Haywood Community Collge prevailed in the 11th Annual Woodsmen's Meet held at the Cradle of Forestry in America during Forest Festival Day on October 7. This year, 5 colleges competed in the intercollegiate woodsmen's meet sponsored by Stihl Chainsaws, Hemlock Healers, Columbia Carolina Wood Products, and the North Carolina Christmas Tree Association.

Haywood went up against Penn State University at Mont Alto, Pennsylvania College of Technology, Dabney S. Lancaster Community College from West Virginia, and Montgomery Community College from Troy, North Carolina. Following a record-breaking 390-10 win over Dabney-Lancaster in the Forestry Quiz Bowl event, Haywood finished at the top in the archery, dendrology, men's crosscut saw, and men's chainsaw events. Haywood also made strong showings in the axe throw, pole climb, women's cross cut, and Jack-and-Jill cross cut events. Over 2,400 spectators attended the event which was graced with beautiful fall weather and color.

The day kicked off at 6:00AM with a traditional and hearty 'lumberjack breakfast' prepared by HCC blacksmithing instructor David Burnette.

HCC's new natural resources instructor Chris Graves took a shift on 'porridge duty'.

Throughout the day, Natural Resource Division faculty, staff, (and their relatives!) manned stopwatches, kept scores, set up events, and kept the competition moving smoothly.

HCC President Dr. Rose Johnson and Montgomery Community College's President cheered on their teams women's horizontal speed-chop competitors.

Pulp and Paper Technology Instructor, WC Godfrey, and sons take a well-deserved break from timing competitors.

Where's Rabby??

2006-10-09T19:43:00.000-04:00

HCC Wildlife Instructor Shannon Rabby spent Saturday, October 7, at Forest Festival Day promoting the Natural Resources Program at Haywood Community College. Over 2,400 vistors payed homage to the Cradle of Forestry in America and came out to watch the 11th Annual Woodsmen's Meet sponsored by Stihl. Rabby manned the Haywood College booth, greeted visitors, talked about HCC's 5 programs within the Natural Resources division, distributed brochures, and held a pseudo-front row seat to chainsaw and crosscut saw events! See if you can find Rabby in the photo below!! (hint...he's close to the guy 'touching' his nose).

Madison County 4-H GeoTech Club learn about GIS and GPS

2006-10-09T10:39:00.000-04:00

Madison County 4-H has a new GeoTech club that is being supported by the Haywood Community College Geospatial Technology faculty. The GeoTech Club is made up of students ages 8 - 17 that are working with the ESRI U.S. Community Atlas program to develop a GIS/GPS project in which teachers and students across the country define the nature of "their community" and post descriptions and maps about it.

Getting kids involved with exciting technologies like GIS and GPS provides gets them interested for a lifetime and demonstrates Haywood Community College's committment to the growing community in western North Carolina.

Horticulture Faculty Part of InterCollegiate Grant Winning Team

2006-10-04T14:59:00.000-04:00

In an joint proposal effort with Wilkes Community College and Mayland Community College Haywood Community College Horticulture Faculty were awarded a $75,000 NCCCS Bionetwork Grant to establish a Plant Micropropagation Collaborative Partnership. Tissue culture protocols will be developed and placed online for educators to use in North Carolina. Native plant propagation protocols will be highlighted.

Recent changes in technology and business practices have significantly altered the skills necessary to be competitive in the 21st century. Globalization and the evolution of a world-wide economy have created a new economic culture in the United States. Economic indicators point out that the new economy requires collaboration and cooperative partnerships among business, industry, government, and educators. Taking these factors into consideration, the Plant Micropropagation Collaborative Partnership strives to progressively develop streams of innovative services that will create a world class workforce, accessible capital, an innovative business climate, physical infrastructure, as well as an infusion of new plant materials and technology. The Plant Micropropagation Collaborative Partnership is one such service that will significantly impact the state’s ability to compete in the 21st century and within this new economic culture. The collaborating community colleges of Wilkes, Haywood, Mayland and Southeastern seek to develop a database of "protocols" to enhance the bioagriculture sector of the economy for rural North Carolina. The development of shared "protocols" on a BioNetwork database would be the foundation developed through this Partnership. The Plant Microprogagation Collaborative Partnership will develop, test, implement, record data and post results to the database. Wilkes Community College will be the primary agent to develop a secure statewide database utilizing the Partnership to enhance bioagriculture for North Carolina's Community College System BioNetwork.

Geospatial Tech program works with developers to create sustainable development options

2006-10-04T13:21:00.000-04:00

Geospatial Technology instructors Pete Kennedy and Blair Bishop have been working with Haywood Waterways and some volunteer landowners/developers to come up with a more sustainable way of developing land. Others heavily involved in this effort include Hayood County Planners and Soil Erosion Specialists, the NRCS and Natural Resource Division students. The idea behind this pilot project is to help developers understand the need for assessing site characteristics such as slope, soils, water resources and other valuable land characteristics before road design and parcel layout begins. This approach encourages looking at the watershed as a whole and exploring the off-site impacts of a development. During this approach, a parcel of land is evaluated based on the best and safest building sites and then roads and lots are designed around the building sites. This is opposite of the normal approach developers take when the design roads and lay out lots before any other characteristics of the land are evaluated.

The developers involved in this pilot project have embraced many of the groups recommendations which include some non-traditional lot layouts (which yielded homesites with better views and higher price tags) and fewer roads.

In the picture below, Pete Kennedy utilizes the Geographic Information System to illustrate percent slope on a piece of property to County Commissioner Larry Ammonds and Gordon Small from Haywood WaterWays. The interest of a county commissioner was encouraging as we are now looking for ways to 'institutionalize' this approach within the county.

NRD Faculty and Forestry Club Demonstrate "Lumberjacking" at Haywood County Fair

2006-10-02T14:16:00.000-04:00

HCC widlife instructor Shannon Rabby and forestry instructor Jim Hamilton, along with several members from the HCC Forestry Club and Lumberjack Team, recently demonstrated the tools and skills of 'Lumberjacking' to over 400 gradeschool students from around Haywood County. Haywood County Cooperative Extension sponsored this 'heritage tour event at the Haywood County Fairgrounds on September 29. Students demonstrated the cross-cut sawing, axe-throwing, underhand chopping, and log rolling events that are part of lumberjack competition. Hamilton also spoke about the history of forestry in North Carolina while Rabby spoke about bears, bobcats, and other forest animals that populate our mountain woods. Lumberjack team members Max Cox, Brandi Banks, Matt Hooper, and Brooke Banks wore the traditional lumberjack team "uniforms"--hickory shirts and red suspenders--and managed to hit the bulls-eye in their axe-throwing demonstrations which was a highlight for the kids.

Pulp and Paper Technology in the High School

2006-09-26T13:14:00.000-04:00

Pulp and Paper Technology has successfully introduced the program to the high school students at Pisgah and Central Haywood High School. The students are receiving both high school and college credit for these classes. The hope is that they will continue with the program and earn a Certificate in one of the Pulp and Paper Technology disciplines while in high school and then consider furthering their educational pursuits by attending HCC.

Check out this website at Central Haywood High School - http://www.chs.haywood.k12.nc.us/

Mapping of campus trees begins ...

2006-08-24T09:22:00.000-04:00

An interdisciplinary effort to map the trees on campus used for instruction began yesterday. Buddy Tignor, Pete Kennedy and Jim Hamilton have begun development of a teaching tool for students on and off campus to be able to access and learn about trees. The first phase of the project will involve using the new Trimble GeoXH GPS units to acquire an accurate position (latitude / longitude) for each tree as well as digital photographs of the major tree characteristics such as leaf, bark, and fruit.

Once this information has been collected, the tree positions will be tied to a database of the images and tree descriptions. The final stages of this project will involve publishing this information to the internet via a live interactive map of the campus showing tree locations, pictures and primary characteristics.

The project will be ongoing and images will be obtained of the trees in different seasons. This tool will provide our students in Horticulture, Forestry and Geospatial Technology and outlet for learning about technology and the environment right here on campus or from afar using the online mapping application.

Happy 60th Rick Lindsay !!!

2006-07-30T11:13:00.000-04:00

On Friday, everyone who could break away from exam grading and other end-of-semester activities gathered to wish Rick a happy 60th birthday. Thanks to a lot of quick arrangements by Jenny, a surprise party was put together and Rick was ambushed :-)
Rick received many gag gifts including a suvival chain to assist him at his advanced age :-)
Team 'wildlife' works together to review the various survival items attached to the chain.
Several folks in the main office put together a greatest hits CD (of country music...Rick's favorite). I would mention some of the titles here, but most aren't appropriate for the Internet. Above, Rick gives an impromptu dance lesson to the party goers.

Tignor Gives Invited Talk on Online-Education Resources for Greenhouse Science

2006-07-10T10:49:00.000-04:00

Buddy Tignor was an invited speaker at the 2006 OFA Short Course in Columbus, OH. The OFA Short Course is recognized as the premier educational and trade show event in North America. The 2006 OFA Short Course will be the 76th event – featuring nearly 1,330 trade show booths, approximately 500 exhibiting companies, and more than 130 educational sessions. It will attract an estimated 10,000 floriculture professionals to Columbus, Ohio.

The OFA Short Course is the best place each year to get your own worldwide perspective on floriculture. Attendees come to the OFA Short Course from throughout the United States and more than 20 foreign countries. They come to view the latest products and equipment, find answers to business problems, learn new skills, catch up with old friends, and network with industry leaders. The first Ohio Florist Short Course was held in January 1930.
These are some of the slides presented during Buddy's talk on an educational resource developed by several particpating colleges including The University of Vermont, University of Florida, The Ohio State University, and The University of Arizona. Buddy continues efforts on this project at Haywood Community College and will use many of the materials developed by this national team in his on-line offering of the two greenhouse courses in the Horticulture Technology Program.
Main directory of educational resource tools.
One of over 60 videos filmed around the country on greenhouse issues.
Sample from digital repository of over 700 images.
Weekly site traffic.
Searches of the digital repository which have resulted in over 50,000 bitstream views in the last 12 months.
Greenhouse simulator and its primary creators at the University of Arizona. The University of Florida developed the GUI for this project based on the University of Arizona's concept.

Teaching Kids about Natural Resources in Summer Enrichment Program

2006-06-27T12:08:00.000-04:00

Jim Hamilton and Buddy Tignor spoke to students enrolled in the summer enrichment program at the Pigeon Community Development Center in Waynesville. The children ranged in age from 5 to 10 years-old and enthusiastically embraced the subject matter. Buddy gave a brief lecture on seeds and seed biology (the coconut was a big hit) and Jim introduced the students to forestry via a slide show. He also made yerba mate tea for all of the students to try (another big hit, especially since they got to drink it from the traditional cup made of a cattle horn).
Following the lecture we moved outside where all of the students planted bean seeds which they will watch grow over the next few weeks in their classroom.

Horticulture Technology Students will be returning there in the near future to do some planting with the students on the Community Center Grounds. WC will also be taking his paper-making demo there soon.

If you would like to particpate in this awesome program for children please contact Lynn Forney at 452-7232 (her office at the community center). They are always looking for new speakers to share with these great kids.

Facility Improvement Underway in Pulp and Paper Technology Program

2006-06-16T09:22:00.000-04:00

Room 404 BEFORE; stay tuned for the AFTER photo.

Room 404 was a standard lecture room. We purchased some pulp samples and paper processing equipment and placed it in this room. The objective was that this room would become the new Pulp and Paper Technology lab (the BioTechnology lab would still be used for a lot of the wet lab processing test). Select equipment in Room 404 was used last semester with the "bucket brigade" method. By the end of the summer, we will have double door access for large equipment(like a digester and hopefully a midget paper machine), running water and drain outlets in this room along with all the electrical connections that we will need to conduct the paper unit operations processes. Special Thanks goes to Tommy Clements and the maintenance staff and Steve Kirton and his electrical classes for helping to make this vision a reality.

Impact of Pulp and Paper Technology Widespread

2006-06-04T10:39:00.000-04:00

Instructor W.C. Godfrey (wgodfrey@haywood.edu) is tirelessly spreading the word about Pulp and Paper Technology and all that it encompasses. This new program at Haywood Community College recently hired a new instructor (Reggie Widemon) to continue expansion of course offerings. W.C. received a little assistance this Sunday in the Asheville Citizen Times. The following story explains how novel packaging produced by a local paper products company may help to increase the amount of milk that school age children consume. (image credit: JFLETCHER@CITIZEN-TIIMES.COM)

A carton too cool for school.
by Mark Barrett, MBARRETT@CITIZEN-TIMES.COM
published June 4, 2006 12:15 am

Blue Ridge Paper Products is trying to make sure schoolchildren do, working with dairy companies to create colorful milk cartons to encourage students to pick up milk in cartons made by the company’s DairyPak division on their way through the lunchroom line.

A promotional campaign the company put together involving milk cartons with a tie-dyed color scheme and the slogan “Xtra Cool!” recently was named the best school milk marketing campaign by the International Dairy Foods Association.

The company signed an agreement with Rupert Boneham, a former contestant on the “Survivor” reality television series known for wearing a tie-dyed tank top T-shirt on the show, to promote the cartons.

Blue Ridge Paper is also a sponsor of a “Milk Rocks!” promotional campaign featuring a concert tour by teenaged singer Britney Christian and has developed a character in a cow suit, D.C. Moo, that appears at events to promote school milk.

Schools and dairies may sometimes have a take-it-or-leave-it attitude about selling milk in lunchrooms, but Blue Ridge decided it had to be more aggressive. The coated paperboard used to make milk cartons account for about 13 percent of total company sales.

Blue Ridge overall has struggled to turn a profit in recent years. Competition from plastic packaging has been one of several factors contributing to losses.

Milk consumption in schools has declined in recent years, said Pamela Parris, director of marketing for Blue Ridge’s packaging division.

“Milk was just not cool anymore,” she said, and milk cartons “have just been so bland and boring” with the designs on some remaining the same for decades.

Blue Ridge and a long-time customer, Prairie Farms Dairy, did a trial a couple of years ago using what the company calls “high graphic” cartons and other marketing steps in St. Louis-area schools and saw milk sales increase an average of 12 percent. Schools that pushed the campaign the hardest —adding new flavors of milk like strawberry or vanilla and using posters or announcements touting milk — sold 34 percent more milk, Parris said.

“It really is the synergistic effect of all those things,” she said.

Roger Gonce of WC&T, an Asheville public relations and marketing firm, designed the tie-dyed cartons.

“Have you ever seen anything more colorful than this?” Parris asked when showing one off recently.

About 75 percent of Blue Ridge’s customers have converted to more colorful packages in a variety of designs. Some have added another color to their cartons or cartoons or puzzles, Parris said.

Some seventh-grade students and the cafeteria manager at Asheville Middle School offered varying opinions of whether snazzy graphics would entice milk drinkers.

Some students love milk, some don’t and few showed any interest in switching.

“I drink it every day,” said student Martel Jackson.

“I hate milk,” said student Danielle Gamble.

Attractive cartons “would be really cool” and might sell more milk, said student Katherine Whatley.

Cafeteria manager Angela Howard wondered.

“Kids either drink milk or they don’t drink milk,” she said.

The cafeteria offers a choice of 1 percent milk, 1 percent chocolate milk, skim milk, juice, water and a frozen drink made from fruit juice. Howard said the school has put up posters of athletes pushing milk, but, “The kids are more interested in the athlete on the poster than what the poster says.”

Cindy Lawler, who is child nutrition director for Asheville City Schools, said schools offer students more choices than when she got into the field 21 years ago and that that may hurt milk consumption.

“We have gone in the direction of being more consumer driven,” Lawler said. “We offer them what they want. When I started, we didn’t offer them options. Milk was it.”

Efforts to make milk more attractive “couldn’t hurt,” Lawler said.

“We try things all the time to get kids to choose healthy options.”

The school system occasionally gets plastic milk containers and they seem to be more popular with students, Lawler said.

But, Parris said, only about 3 percent of schools regularly sell milk in plastic containers — and that dairies using plastic face a challenge because plastic is significantly more expensive than paperboard cartons.

Parris said packaging and other steps cannot persuade every student to drink milk, but the test in the St. Louis area shows marketing and attractive cartons do increase milk consumption.

“Even as adults, we’re attracted by the outside of a package and then we may investigate further. … We’ll only continue to use it if we like what’s inside,” Parris said.

“Our job as packagers is to put something out there that will at least give a child an incentive to pick it up and try it."

HCC Instructors become 'Trimble Certified GPS Trainers'

2006-05-25T17:10:00.000-04:00

During the 'break' in-between sessions, Blair Bishop and Pete Kennedy took a Trimble Certified Trainer class and are now certified to offer the Trimble 1,2 and 3 day training classes in GPS Terrasync and GPS Analyst.

From left to right ... Pete Murtaugh from Trimble, Pete and Blair on Black Balsam off the Blue Ridge Parkway near the Shining Rock Wilderness Area.

Nanuck get's into the GeoXH with Blair and Pete

a good luck at the new subfoot GeoXH GPS units we'll be training with...

Blair and the GeoXH at the Art Loeb Trail

Sergio from CH2MHill poses in front of Looking Glass Rock off the parkway. How about this for a place to come learn GPS?

Blair leads the group in an exercise. Left to right... Melanie and Sergio from CH2MHill, our very own Blair Bishop and Pete Murtaugh from Trimble.

Graduation 2006 !!!

2006-05-14T17:56:00.000-04:00

On Friday graduates, their families and friends, and faculty gathered for the graduation ceremony. The Division of Natural Resources had approximately 50 graduates receiving degrees, many with honors. There was much to celebrate.
This is always a happy occassion as faculty enjoy celebrating the success of their students.
W.C. waits to join the faculty procession.
Pete and Jim wait in the stairwell to join the other faculty on stage.
Doug proudly announces the names of the Division of Natural Resources graduates who then crossed the stage and received their degrees from President Johnson.
In a great tradition, faculty line the stairwell outside the Beall Auditorium to congratulate the new graduates on their way to the reception.
It doesn't matter how many times you participate in graduation ceremonies there is always the issue of exactly how to wear the academic regalia. Well working as a dysfunctional team we did it. Here is the front.
And here is the back :-)

Celebrating James and Rick

2006-05-07T17:58:00.000-04:00

Doug and Mary Elizabeth opened their home to celebrate two of our own long time instructors looking forward to new opportunities. James (left) will be headed to begin work on his Ph.D. at N.C. State and Rick will be enjoying life and possibly doing some guiding in Western North Carolina. They will both be greatly missed at Haywood Community College by Colleagues and students alike.Some new instructors and their spouses enjoy the view from the back of the Staiger's beautiful home.Pete and Haven take a moment to relax at the party after a long day of packing up to move into their new home in Asheville. We have all been a little worried about Pete's stress level lately and it was good to see him smiling. Several new faculty are moving (or have) moved to the area between Asheville and Waynesville. Even more for the Natural Resources Division to celebrate.Jim and Sylvi's son Christian became fast friends with Doug's dog Abbey. Proof positive that every boy ought to have a dog. CUTE!!
After all the great food people were treated to a little music courtesy of Blair, James, Shannon, and others.Doug and John listen to the "band".James and Shannon play a little Dylan.Blair tears down the house on James' new drum.

Student and faculty present poster at GIS conference

2006-05-01T09:08:00.000-04:00

Last week GIS/Forest Management Technology instructor Blair Bishop and GIS certifcate student Eric Goltry attended the 29th annual Geospatial Information Technology Associations meeting in Tampa, Florida. During the conference Eric presented a poster entitled "The Spatial Distribution of Surface Water Nutrient Concentrations for Nine Sub-Watersheds in Haywood County, North Carolina". Eric is the first HCC GIS certificate student to present at a large annual international conference; way to go Eric!!! Also during this trip Blair got to meet with a few D.O.L.E.T.A folks to say thank you and join a panel discussion on identifying skill sets and competencies for the 21st Century Geospatial Workforce.

Thanks HCC-Foundation for our MINI-GRANT!!!!!

Annual Plant Sale A Success

2006-04-28T19:29:00.000-04:00

Once again the annual plant sale at the Nix Horticulture Complex was huge success. Horticulture enthusiasts showed up early to buy plants and get advice from faculty and students alike.
George Thomas assists a customer.
George tallying another sale. All proceeds go support the Horticulture Technology Program at Haywood Community College.
Anita used her culinary and catering skills to provide customers with barbecue sandwiches and grilled vegetables.
Don makes sure those flats stay well watered for customers during the fundraiser.
Dawn helps a customer to her car with a cart full of plants that will soon be in the garden.
This was a common site on campus as people wanted to make sure their newly purchased plants did not overheat in their cars.
In addition to many types of annuals, containerized perennial plant materials were also sold.
Some horticulture students also provided a three piece band to entertain shoppers during the sale.
Good plants, good prices, good food and good music. If you didn't get a chance to stop by the sale this year make sure you put it on your calendar for next year.

BioDiesel Workshop Informative and Inspiring

2006-04-27T22:13:00.000-04:00

The Division of Natural Resources at Haywood Community College was fortunate enough to host a workshop sponsored by Piedmont Biofuels and BioNetwork-BioAgriculture Center. Rachel Burton (pictured at podium) gave an excellent introduction to Biodiesel and how the coop she works with has expanded over the years.
David Thornton who also works at Piedmont Biofuels then gave a live demonstration where attendees participated in making a small batch of biodiesel fuel from canola oil.
Using just a few simple ingredients David and the group were able to turn a quart of canola oil into biodiesel and glycerin.
Neat to think that these Brassica seeds when planted out could provide the fuel necessary to power any diesel engine.
Workshop participants assist in by agitating the mixture manually.
A horticulture student mixes the ingredients necessary to make biodiesel.
Two batches of biodiesel fuel. Left: after 24 hours the biodiesel is on the top and glycerin (which can be used for numerous things including soap and animal feed) is the dark layer on the bottom. Right: Our batch is beginning to separate after about only 30 minutes. This was a great hands-on demonstration.
Generous sponsors of the event (Left to Right): Leslie Jones (BioNetwork BioAgriculture Center), JD Brooks (BioNetwork BioAgriculture Center), Rachel Burton (Piedmont Biofuels), and David Thornton (Piedmont Biofuels).

Recruiting Efforts for Natural Resource Division Continue

2006-04-27T22:05:00.000-04:00

It has been another huge week for recruiting in the Natural Resources Divsion at Haywood Community College. Buddy Tignor and Jim Hamilton went to the Asheville Highschool Career Day and spoke to students about careers in the Natural Resources. Shannon Rabby manned a table for the FFA Regional Competition held on the Haywood's Campus. Pete Kennedy visited high schools east of Asheville. W.C. Godfrey and Reggie Widemon went to a local middle school to promote the Pulp and Paper Technology program. We are all working hard to get the word out about the great educational opportunities available at Haywood Community College.

Who's Who In Natural Resources

2006-04-21T10:14:00.000-04:00

The 2005–2006 Who’s Who among Students in American Junior Colleges

Students named this year from HCC’s
Natural Resources Programs (Thanks for the list Jenny):

Michael Shane Billings
Fish & Wildlife Management Technology

Daniel Wayne Bryson
Forest Management Technology

Jordana A. Chalnick
Horticulture Technology

Anthony Futrell
Fish & Wildlife Management Technology

Amy L. Garascia
Forest Management Technology

Lucas Samuel Jack
Forest Management Technology

Samuel Lee Koch
Fish & Wildlife Management Technology

Linda Rudisill Soesbee
Horticulture Technology

Tyler Shane Vess
Forest Management Technology

Faculty, Staff, and Students Recognized at Honor's Day

2006-04-20T22:04:00.000-04:00

David Dudek, Jenny Carver, Susan Roberts (pictured above), and many students were recognized at Haywood Community College's 5th Annual Honor's Day Celebration. Our division continues to have much to be proud of. Please congratulate all of these folks when you see them around campus.

HCC Woodmen's Team Competes in Mid-Atlantic Woodsmen's Meet

2006-04-19T14:45:00.000-04:00

The Haywood Community College Forestry Club recently placed second overall at the Mid-Atlantic States Intercollegiate Woodsmen's Meet behind their rival Penn State. The meet was held at Montgomery Community College where six two-year schools competed in both mental and physical competitions. "I am very proud of everyone," said Dan Bryson, vice president of the HCC Forestry Club. "It took a lot of hard work and practice. The biggest challenge we face is finding practice time for 15 students. All our practices take place after classes are completed."

HCC student Patrick Nichols became the first student to participate from a wheelchair where he won the axe throw. Nichols had a motorcycle wreck last semester that resulted in injuries paralyzing him from waist down. Classmate Jay Blackburn says for Nichols to win the axe throw was no surprise to most of his teammates because he is a very determined and driven person who dedicated a lot of time to practicing. Another first for HCC was overall winner Jay Blackburn. Blackburn will now travel to Stillwater, Minnesota to compete in the Stihl Collegiate Competition.

Following are the placements of the HCC team members:

Axe Throw, male: 1st Place-Patrick Nichols
Axe Throw, female: 1st Place-Brandy Banks
Dendrology: 2nd Place-Dan Bryson
Pole Climb, male: 1st Place-Kenny Frick
2nd Place-Zach Scott
Pole Climb, female: 1st Place-Brandy Banks
Single Buck: 1st Place-Jay Blackburn
Pole Fell: 1st Place-Dan Bryson and Brandon Garrison
3rd Place-Jay Blackburn and Jason Jones
Crosscut sawing, male/female: 2nd Place-Jason Jones and Molly Lassiter
Crosscut sawing, female: 2nd Place-Brandy Banks and Brooke Banks
Speed Chopping: 4th-Dan Bryson
Team Log Roll: 4th Place
Team Pulp Wood Toss: 4th Place

HCC Student to Compete in National Collegiate Woodsmen's Meet

2006-04-19T14:38:00.000-04:00

For the first time in Haywood Community College's history, one of its students, Jay Blackburn, was the overall winner of Stihl Chainsaw's Mid-Atlantic States Intercollegiate Woodsmen's Meet. Blackburn will travel in July to Stillwater, Minnesota to compete in the Stihl Collegiate Competition. He will face the five best college students in this sport in the nation. The winner of the competition will compete in the professional series for one year.

As a result of winning the Mid-Atlantic States Intercollegiate Meet, Blackburn was awarded a $1000 scholarship for HCC, as well as a new chopping ax and Stihl chainsaw to be used in competition. In addition, Stihl will pay for Blackburn and coach, HCC graduate Jimmy Lawrence, to travel to the July event. Blackburn participates in competitions for HCC three times annually. He also participates in the South Atlantic Woodsmen's Association (SAWA) where he was named Rookie of the Year last year. And rookie is an accurate term for Blackburn who has only been involved in the sport for almost a year. After owning his own business for two years, he decided he needed a change and came to HCC to pursue something he's always been interested in, forestry.

"This is something I really enjoy," Blackburn said. "The key to this sport is technique, accuracy, and practice." He spends one to two hours per day practicing.

The Marion native will finish HCC in May 2007 and wants to be a professional lumberjack. Catch Blackburn's performance on May 16 at 7 p.m. on ESPN. For more information about HCC's Forest Management Technology program, please call 627-4500.

Annual Plant Sale !!!

2006-04-18T16:52:00.000-04:00

Click on Flyer to view a larger printable version... Haywood Community College Annual Plant Sale!

WHAT: A sale of annuals, perennials, vegetables, herbs, shrubs and house plants @ VERY reasonable prices.
-All plants grown in house by hort. students.
-Proceeds to benefit HCC Horticulture department and Horticulture club.
-Food and beverage to be sold with vegetarian option!

WHEN: Friday, April 28th 9-4pm

WHERE: HCC Horticulture department, 1100 Nix Building

For information please contact:
George Thomas @ (828)627- 4625

Educational Spring Break for Horticulture Students

2006-04-13T14:00:00.000-04:00

George Thomas, Horticulture Instructor, took interested students on a field trip to Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Georgia. Here George arranged for the students to expand their horizons with reviews of hundreds of new plant species and varieties and discussions lead by internationally recognized experts such as Dr. Allan Armitage of the University of Georgia's Horticulture Department.
Students observed many dazzling displays of horticultural collections including orchids, azaleas, and other species too numerous to mention here.
Callaway Gardens, a stunning 13,000-acre garden, offers the perfect setting for horticulture students. Callaway Gardens' landscape explodes with beautiful displays of over 20,000 azaleas, plus mountain laurel, dogwoods, daffodils and daisies.
HCC student Adam Bigelow manages to make a new friend during a brief break in the garden tour.
One of the many stunning conservatories at Callaway Gardens.
Plants are used for a variety of design purpose at Callaway Gardens. When does a garden stop being a garden and become statuary?

These images were generously provided by HCC student Dawn Pomraning.

Interested in Horticulture at HCC? Send us an e-mail at mtignor@haywood.edu , gthomas@haywood.edu, or jsherman@haywood.edu Come Grow With Us!!! We are also now offering many of our courses On-Line.

Easter Lily Sale !!! Bargains !!!

2006-04-12T16:57:00.000-04:00

Need that last minute Easter Gift for someone you care about? Please support the students in the Horticulture Technology Program and Purchase one of their Beautiful Easter Lilies...NOW ONLY $3.00 !!!

Special thanks to Jenny Carver for running the remote florist shop at the Natural Resources Division Office and designing the flyers.

Forestry Management Instructor Presents at National IPM Symposium and Forest Industry Workshop

2006-04-11T16:23:00.000-04:00

Hamilton addresses pesticide safety with Hispanic crew

Haywood Community College’s Dr. Jim Hamilton joined over 650 scientists, academics, agency personnel, and international organizations in St. Louis, Missouri to share innovations that lead to a safer food supply, enhance human health and improve environment through Integrated Pest Management or IPM. He led a workshop at the 5th National IPM Symposium, held April 4-6th. With over 23 countries represented, the program included mini-symposia, workshops, roundtable sessions and social events that addressed challenges to educate the public about the importance of integrated pest management—an environmentally sensitive approach to pest management that relies on a combination of common-sense practices that can be applied to both agricultural and non-agricultural settings. Hamilton’s workshop entitled “Training Hispanic Workers and Growers in IPM: Case Studies from the Field” highlighted his experience with developing a pest scouting program with Hispanic workers in North Carolina’s Christmas tree industry. Naná Simone from Wenatchee, Washington co-presented, sharing methods for training Hispanic farmers and orchard owners about fruit-tree pest identification and control. Industry representatives, EPA program personnel, and extension agents attended the workshop.

Hamilton was also recently a speaker and panelist at a workshop in Princeton, West Virginia for the forest products industry, March 27-28th. The workshop “Managing and Understanding the Hispanic Workforce” was organized by Virginia Tech’s Sloan Foundation Forest Industries Center to provide forest industry employers necessary tools to improve safety, productivity, and communication with their increasingly Hispanic workforce. He was invited to speak on “Job Safety in a Multicultural Workplace”. Before joining the faculty of Haywood Community College’s Natural Resources Division, Hamilton worked extensively on a pesticide safety education program with Hispanic farmworkers as an extension agent in Watauga County.

HCC Fish and Wildlife Management Student Shane Billings Wins Awards

2006-04-11T15:53:00.000-04:00

Haywood Community College Fish and Wildlife Management Technology student Shane Billings was recently awarded the Ken Wilson Memorial Award by the North Carolina Wildlife Society, as well as winning first place in the 2006 Southeastern Wildlife Conclave essay contest. As a result, the essay will be published nationally in The Wildlife Society Bulletin. Billings also received first, second, and third place in the painting category at the conclave.

Billings is president of the HCC student chapter of The Wildlife Society. Originally from Wilkes County, he moved to Waynesville to attend HCC.

"HCC has an exemplary crew of instructors," Billings said. "Their hearts and minds are in their jobs. They know the business inside and out, from every angle and aspect."

The Ken Wilson Memorial Award is based on academic performance, contributions to research, work projects that contribute to state wildlife conservation efforts, and other accomplishments.
Billings was nominated for the award by HCC fish and wildlife instructor Dave Dudek. "Shane has consistently exhibited a strong work ethic," Dudek explains. "He is a well-respected, energetic organizer who inspires active involvement. He leads by example."
The topic of the essay for the conclave was "Trade Off: Should Conservation Dollars be Spent on Habitat Acquisition or Enhancement?"

"I was extremely surprised when I found out I won," Billings said. "I was pleased and honored."
Billings is married and works full-time while attending school full-time. He came back to school to study something he feels passionate about. Since enrolling at HCC, he has been on the Dean's List each semester and maintains a 4.0 grade point average. Billings volunteers with the Take a Kid Fishing program and stream clean up efforts. He has workshop certifications in Project Wild, Aquatic Wild, CATCH Program (Caring for Aquatics Through Conservation Habits), and ALL Taxa BioInventory. He is currently pursuing a North Carolina Environmental Education certificate and will be volunteering as an intern as a creel clerk for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Billings will finish HCC in May. "I have enjoyed how HCC is small," he said. "It doesn't have the hustle and bustle of a big campus. It feels like home."

Students Continue Shook House Efforts

2006-04-07T21:34:00.000-04:00

Built in 1795, by Reveloutionary War veteran Jacob Shook, the Shook House lies close to the Pigeon River in Clyde. It is one of the oldest if not the oldest house standing in Haywood County. As part of an ongoing effort spearheaded by Horticulture Faculty George Thomas and John Sherman new landscaping activities continue.
The students enrolled in landscape management (co-taught by John Sherman and Buddy Tignor)finished sodding the front of the Shook House complex and began seeding the remainder of the yard. Horticulture Instructor George Thomas (in the hat) assists students in putting straw down on the newly seeded yard. After a hard afternoon's efforts the additional turf is in place in both the front of the Shook Complex and...
to the side of the Shook House. If you have a minute drive by and see how things are shaping up. Supplies have been generously provided by Dr. Hall for these student learning activities.

Open House Draws Potential Students

2006-04-06T17:42:00.000-04:00

Thanks to the efforts of many in the Natural Resources Division the Open House was a success. Several potential students met with instructors from the GIS/GPS, Wildlife Management, Forestry, Pulp and Paper, and Horticulture Technology programs.
Some of the activities for open house participants included a demonstration by Dr. Sherman on extracting DNA from strawberries. ...a discussion of pulp and paper making by Reggie Widemon
...and a tour of the greenhouse teaching complex and horticultural gardens. Additionally, students toured displays on radio telemetry, GPS/GIS equipment, wildlife management, and much more.

Natural Resources Adopted Chicken Thriving

2006-04-06T10:15:00.000-04:00

John Sherman and Buddy Tignor (human in the photo) recently lectured to agriculture students at Buncombe Community School East about exciting career opportunities that open up with advanced training in Horticulture.

We also made a presentation covering the other exciting programs available to students in the Natural Resources Division at Haywood Community College.

The students at Buncombe Community School East raise chickens to help fund their hands-on education. The Natural Resources Division sponsored a chicken at the Organic Grower's School this spring, so while on campus we decided to check up on our Rhode Island Red named 'Haywood C. College'. I know this is a hen and Haywood is a masculine name, but the chicken will just have to suffer a little bit for our namesake. Haywood, like the Natural Resources Division is thriving and growing.

HCC NRD makes the Smoky Mountain News front page

2006-03-22T14:57:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone -

Becky Johnson did a great job covering our division in the Smoky Mountain News. The Smoky Mountain News has a circulation of 16,000 in the counties of Western North Carolina.

Check out the front page:

http://www.smokymountainnews.com/

and to see the individual articles... navigate from the home page or click on the following:

In good hands ...

Mountain college world-class status

Forestry's New Era

HCC Wildlifers finish third overall at 2006 Southeastern Wildlife Conclave

2006-03-20T11:06:00.000-05:00

HCC’s student chapter of The Wildlife Society attended the 2006 Southeastern Wildlife Conclave at Tennessee Tech University March 9-12. Conclave is an annual event that brings students from all over the southeast together to represent their schools in various fish and wildlife management-related activities and competitions. At Conclave, Haywood Community College students compete against over 20 other southeastern schools including large universities such as the University of Georgia, LSU, Auburn, University of Tennessee, Virginia Tech, NC State, the University of Florida, Mississippi State, and Clemson. Competitions included an academic quiz bowl tournament, a team field competition, game calling, canoeing, archery, radiotelemetry, dendrology, obstacle course, orienteering, rock climbing, art, photography, and an essay contest. In addition, students attended wildlife-related field trips, dinners and socials, and had an opportunity to meet other students, faculty and working professionals in the field of wildlife management.

This year, 20 students and Fish and Wildlife Management Technology instructors Dave Dudek, Rick Lindsay, and Shannon Rabby traveled to Falls Creek Falls State Park in Tennessee for the event. Our students prepared for Conclave by taking on additional studies and honing their skills in fish and wildlife identification, management techniques, ecology and equipment operation. The HCC Wildlife Club is proud to be the only two-year school that attends this annual event.

The HCC Wildlife Club did exceptionally well at this year’s Conclave, bringing home twelve awards including third place overall! The overall award was achieved due to a strong showing by our students in all of the events during Conclave. Among the highlights were the awards received by Wildlife Club president Shane Billings. Shane received first, second and third place in the painting category with his exceptional paintings of wildlife in their natural settings. In addition, Shane won first place in the essay contest and will be further honored by having his essay published nationally in The Wildlife Society Bulletin! Freshman Kasey Strganac also received a third place award for her essay. Other students won awards for game calling, canoeing, free-form art, drawing, and radiotelemetry. A strong showing in the Team Field event also contributed to the club’s third place overall award.

The most exciting result occurred in the Quiz Bowl tournament. HCC students Jason Davis, Shane Billings, Jonathan Bumgarner and Sam Koch did an outstanding job in this challenging double-elimination academic tournament, defeating six university teams before losing to the University of Georgia in the championship match. During the tournament, HCC defeated teams from Mississippi State, Frostburg State, Murray State, Oklahoma State, Arkansas State and our in-state rival North Carolina State University. Shannon Rabby, HCC Fish and Wildlife Management instructor and Quiz Bowl coach, was proud of the team’s strong showing. “The competition at Quiz Bowl was fierce, and our students did an outstanding job despite the fact that they were competing against universities with graduate students on their teams. To finish second in this event is further proof that our Wildlife Management Technology program is one of the best anywhere!”

Submitted by Shannon Rabby

Wilkes County Recruiting - FFA NW Leadership Meeting

2006-03-15T14:00:00.000-05:00

Recruiting update -

Jim Hamilton and Pete Kennedy spoke to the NW FFA Leadership Team at the Fire Mountain Steak House in Wilksboro, NC yesterday at 4:30pm. 50 FFA high school teachers were in attendance from the nw region of the state. We talked about the grant, new employees, new directions, online courses, and the open house. We handed out recruiting materials to all teachers about each program and the open house. We also reiterated our desire to make classroom visits with them and their students.

We also visited Pat Becks horticulure class during the day at West Wilkes High School and talked to 12 students about the program.

We dropped off recruiting materials and made contacts with counselors at 5 high schools along the way and posted our open house flyer at 3 NC Forest Service offices and one ag extention office.

Faculty and staff can see the details of all these recruiting stops in the on the public drive here ==> P:\RecruitingDocuments\RecruitmentForms

Pete

Grant team complete

2006-03-09T11:43:00.000-05:00

The fnal employee on the DOL Natural Resources Grant started yesterday - Welcome to Marlow Mager our new Instructional Design guru. We met yesterday and he seems to have a lot to contribute.

This week also saw the arrival of Reggie Widemon our new Pulp and Paper instuctor and week before last Milton (Buddy Tignor) arrived from Vermont as the new Horticulture instructor.

We'll be posting some bio's and more info on our new teachers here as well as on http://naturalresources.haywood.edu.

Test Post ...

2006-03-07T10:49:00.000-05:00

checking to see if everyone gets an email when the blog is updated.

New HCC NRD google groups

2006-03-06T20:40:00.000-05:00

Hey Everyone - I created us a google group called HCC - NRD. I added all our emails to it so you can send an email to naturalresources@googlegroups.com and everyone in the division will get it.

Using that group, an email is also sent to everyone in it when this blog is updated. We have more people posting now, so if it gets to be too much we can remove your email from the google group.

By the way, this is kind of a test post to see if everyone gets an email when i publish this.

here we go!

more people blogging....

2006-03-06T19:31:00.000-05:00

hey - great to see more posts on the blog. I set up Shannon, Jim, and Buddy as members so they are posting now! That's great. If anyone else wants to contribute, you can register and post or tell me and and i'll add you as a member.

i'm trying to set it up so emails are sent when someone posts to the blog. this post is kind of a test of that too...

2006-03-06T11:25:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Debra Davis for this posting

HCC WOODSMEN'S TEAM COMPETES IN VIRGINIA TECH WOODSMEN'S MEET
The Haywood Community College Forestry Club recently placed second overall at the Virginia Tech Woodsmen's Meet beating North Carolina State University, Virginia Tech, Virginia Tech graduate students, and Dabney S. Lancaster Community College. HCC was three points away from beating West Virginia University for first place. HCC placed first in all combined technical/academic events
Following are the placements of the HCC team members:
Volume Estimation: 1st Place-Jason Jones
Orienteering: 3rd Place-Chad Bowman
Dendrology: 1st Place-Dan Bryson
Photogrammetry: 2nd Place-Molly Lassiter
Wood ID: 4th Place-Patrick Nichols
DBH Estimation: 2nd Place-Brian Rogers
Log Roll: 1st Place-Brian Rogers and Jason Jones
Men's Cross Cut: 2nd Place-Jay Blackburn and Jason Jones
Women's Cross Cut: 2nd Place-Molly Lassiter and Brooke Banks
Jack and Jill: 2nd Place-Jason Jones and Molly Lassiter
Speed Chop: 3rd Place-Dan Bryson

Natural Resources Recruiting for HCC

2006-03-06T10:48:00.000-05:00

Susan Roberts, Matt Delozier, and Buddy Tignor, provided information on the traditional an new on-line Natural Resources program at Haywood at the First Annual Opportunity Showcase hosted by St. Stephen's High School in Hickory. About 60 students and parents were in attendance. Principal DeAnna Taylor organized an excellent opening session and well organized exhibition hall for the attendees. The panel discussion 'When Opportunity Knocks' designed to promote awareness of two-year programs included guest speakers from the Catawba County Chamber of Commerce, Catawba Valley Medical Center, Allen Finely Advertising, Moss-Marlow Building Company, and Martin-Starnes and Associates. There was substantial interest in both the on campus and on-line course offerings.

Fish and Wildlife Management students prepare to attend Southeastern Wildlife Conclave

2006-03-06T09:45:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Shannon Rabby - Wildlife Instructor for this post!

HCC’s student chapter of The Wildlife Society is preparing to attend the 2006 Southeastern Wildlife Conclave at Tennessee Tech University March 9-12. Conclave is an annual event that brings students from all over the southeast together to represent their schools in various fish and wildlife management-related activities and competitions. At Conclave, Haywood Community College students compete against over 20 other southeastern schools including large universities such as the University of Georgia, LSU, Auburn, University of Tennessee, Virginia Tech, NC State, the University of Florida, Mississippi State, and Clemson. Competitions include an academic quiz bowl tournament, a team field competition, game calling, canoeing, archery, radiotelemetry, dendrology, orienteering, rock climbing, art, photography, and an essay contest. In addition, students attend wildlife-related field trips, attend dinners and socials, and get an opportunity to meet other students, faculty and working professionals in the field of wildlife management.

This year, 26 students and 3 faculty will travel to Falls Creek Falls State Park in Tennessee for the event. Our students prepare for Conclave by taking on additional studies and honing their skills in fish and wildlife identification, management techniques, ecology and equipment operation. The HCC Wildlife Club is proud to be the only two-year school that attends this annual event. Despite the fact that our students compete against large universities whose teams often include graduate students, our HCC wildlifers have always done very well at this event- further proof that our program is one of the best around!

Stay tuned for the results and pictures of our experience at the 2006 Southeastern Wildlife Conclave!

Pulp and Paper Open House Pics

2006-03-01T11:28:00.000-05:00

The Pulp and Paper Open House was a success last night. We would have liked have seen more people but everyone had a good time. The vendor displays were great and the demonstrations were well received. WC did worked many long hours getting it all set up and taken down - GREAT JOB!

We are compiling our notes from what we learned so our Natural Resources Division Open House can have an even bigger impact.

Pulp and Paper Open House

2006-02-20T08:43:00.000-05:00

WC Godfrey has scheduled Pulp and Paper Technology Open House on February 28th.

PaperMaking Experiments

Snacks, Food & Drink
Sponsored by the HCC Foundation

Date: February 28, 2006
Day/Time: Tuesday 6-8pm

At Haywood Community College
400 Building

Special Displays – Blue Ridge Paper, Hercules, Weavex, Lorentz & Wettre and other paper related
industry in our area.

HCC Natural Resources Booth at NC Surveyors Convention

2006-02-09T18:19:00.000-05:00

Come by the Haywood Community College Natural Resources Division booth at the 42nd NC Society of Surveyors Annual Convention. We'll be there February 9-11th, 2006 at the Marriott and Embassy Suites in Winston-Salem, NC.

Check out the program highlights by clicking here ==>

Tutoring For Natural Resources Students

2006-02-02T14:31:00.000-05:00

Susan Roberts, a biology instructor and Learning Specialist in the Natural Resources Division has the tutoring ramped up and moving along. Please see below for more information.

Tutoring is now available for all Natural Resources students.

With Teaching and Learning Center Instructor-Tutor: Susan Roberts

Tutoring available for math, writing, science, computers, and more.
Available for individual tutoring or small study groups.
Room 334 (in the Teaching and Learning Center)

Office phone: 828-565-4218.
E-mail: sroberts@haywood.edu

New Haywood Comm College Natural Resources Division WebSite is up!

2006-02-01T13:44:00.000-05:00

The Haywood Community College Natural Resources Division now has a new home on the web. Before I give you the URL, please understand it is a work in progress. Many links will be updated with new pages and I am putting it out today to be critiqued by the folks here in the division.

CHECK IT OUT!

http://naturalresources.haywood.edu

I know it has a long way to go but we are excited about having a place to send our students and help market our division better on the web. By the way... i am NOT a web designer, just a hack doing the best to make a presence on the web. Any input is appreciated!

Cheers!

Finally another post - Grant Meeting Yesterday

2006-01-31T08:47:00.000-05:00

It took a while but here's another post.

We had the first quarterly meeting of the Core Leadership Team for the Western North Carolina Forest Industry Training Initiative Department of Labor grant yesterday. It provided a chance for new employees to meet the partners in this grant. Doug provided a great PowerPoint presentation that really outlined the objectives of the grant and how we are going to approach it ... at least for now. The grant is in it's infancy and we are all learning what works best as we go.

3 of the 7 new employess to be hired by the grant are on board and we are eagerly waiting the rest. The new employees here now are me... Pete Kennedy - GIS/GPS Instructor, Shannon Rabby - Fish & Wildlife Instructor, and Susan Roberts - Learning Specialist. We are spear heading the attack on marketing and recruiting for now and some of the things we have initiated are:

A new Haywood Community College Natural Resources website - coming soon - stay tuned!!!
An open house to be held in March or April.
A letter drafted to FFA outlining our new online natural resources programs to be started Fall 2006.
Cards to be sent to students in the Haywood database who applied and never came
Developing contacts for all programs in Natural Resources

I am new to blogging but plan to use this blog as a sounding board for the grant and other happenings in the Haywood Community College Natural Resources Division!

First Post NRM - HCC

2006-01-23T16:39:00.000-05:00

This is the first post of the new Natural Resources Management blog from Haywood Community College. This space will be used to keep up with all the happenings at HHC in the Natural Resources Division as well as other topics of interest involving Forestry, Fish and Wildlife Management, GISci, GPS and other things related!

This blog IS NOT anofficial Haywood CC site. I am not a 'spokesperson' for the college or division: I am simply posting thoughts and happenings in our division. Please feel free to comment and provide feedback and input to any topic on this site.

Keep a close eye for updates!