Fifth grade students at Troy Elementary School and Pike Liberal Arts School and students enrolled in the Goshen Agriscience Academy participated in the 2016 Classroom in the Forest at the Renfroe Family Farm Wednesday. Classroom in the Forest is hosted annually by the Farm-City Committee of the Pike County Chamber of Commerce.

Randy Hale, committee chair, said the students spent a day in the forest and participated in a variety of activities designed to give them a better understanding of the importance of Alabama’s forests and a greater appreciation for those who are good stewards of the land, as professionals and as landowners.

“You won’t find better managed forest land than Gene and Jana Renfroe’s,” Hale said. “The students get an opportunity to see the results of being good stewards of the land. They learn about forest management, pond management and about wildlife management. And, they see how forests can be used for recreation – including hunting and fishing.”

A forest is not a forest without trees and a forest can be destroyed by disease and by fire.

Forest Ranger Jeremy Lowery explained the importance of prescribed or controlled burning to the students.

Lowery said by reducing excessive amounts of brush, shrubs and trees, new growth of vegetation is encouraged.

Prescribed burning also maintains many plant and animals species whose habitats depend on periodic fire, he said.

Foresters took the students on walks through the forests and pointed out trees that need to be thinned for different reasons – primarily to give other trees room to grow. However, some trees are diseased and must be removed.

“Flagging a tree” is a way for trees to mark boundary lines, designate trees that are to be removed and to mark trails.

The Soil Tunnel Trailer was a popular place at Classroom in the Forest. It was manned by Deborah Huggins-Davis who told the students that the soil trailer allows them to actually experience what it is like to be in underground Pike County.
“The Soil Tunnel Trailer has examples of the different kinds for soil that we have here in Pike County,” Davis said. “Students can also see the different animals that make their homes underground. This is a unique experience for the students and seem to enjoy it.”
Jordan Graves, Alabama Extension Service, talked to the students about pond management and the importance of maintaining balance in the fish population. He said it is often wise to reduce the bass and bream populations in a pond.

He demonstrated how a seine net is used to collect fish and how the number and size of the collected fish are indicators of how a pond should be managed.

Hale said the students had opportunities to learn a lot about the forests and they all had a good time learning.

“This is one of the Farm-City Committee’s continuing programs,” he said. “It’s a great learning experience and an opportunity for the students to experience and enjoy the outdoors.”