Glenville State College forest technology students benefit from Weyerhaeuser donation

GLENVILLE, W.Va. (News release) - The Department of Land Resources at Glenville State College recently received a grant from Weyerhaeuser to support the College's Forest Technology program.

The Department of Land Resources will use the funds from the $1,485 grant to purchase basic forestry tools and instruments used in measuring tree height and diameter. These new items will be part of the instrumentation pool that are loaned to students for their use throughout the semester.

"The most recent grant that we received is a clear indicator of Weyerhaeuser's unwavering support of the Forest Technology program at Glenville State College," said Department Chair and Professor of Forestry, Dr. Rico Gazal. "We are glad to know that Weyerhaeuser continues to be a valuable partner in providing quality education to our students."

Gazal adds that when students have unlimited access to the instruments, their experiential learning is expanded beyond the laboratory period. Students will have the ability to collect data, review for an exam, and conduct basic tree measurement required in their courses on their own time. Having an individual instrument is also consistent with COVID-19 safety protocols.

The Forest Technology program has been accredited by the Society of American Foresters (SAF) since 2016. Before then, it had been a recognized program of SAF since 1973. Faculty and staff in the program pride themselves on helping produce graduates who are knowledgeable in the basic field operations of forestry, land surveying, and natural resource management practices through classroom and hands-on learning. For more information about the programs within the Department of Land Resources at Glenville State College, contact the Department of Land Resources at LandResources@glenville.edu