Forestry Skills Camp 2025

On the third week of June, seven highly motivated students from Wisconsin and Minnesota arrived at UWSP’s Central Wisconsin Environmental Station to build their skills in forestry. While the students all had varying backgrounds and familiarity with forestry, all shared the common desire to connect with forests in a meaningful way.

For the first two days of camp, all students participated in rigorous Wilderness First Aid trainings led by Shelly Wollerman. The trainings included learning how to scope out a helicopter landing zone for extreme emergencies, how to build a litter for transporting injured individuals, and how to address various wounds and injuries potentially encountered in the forest industry. For an assessment one student would choose their “favorite” injury that the rest of the group would then need to assess and treat. This activity not only gave these students valuable life saving skills, but it worked as a great team building exercise. Students then had the opportunity to choose a “pathway” to focus on for the remainder of camp.

Five of the students were mentored by forestry veteran, Buzz Vahradian, to learn more about forest management. This hands-on experience helped students explore how foresters use measurements to determine when to harvest trees while exploring the different reasons forests can be managed. These students were also tasked with learning how to operate cut-to length harvesting systems using the WFC’s Ponsse Harvester Simulators.  

The two other students, meanwhile, were learning how to safely operate chainsaws and fell trees with Paul Ahlen and Shelly Wollerman. With safety as the primary emphasis, these students learned how to maintain and operate both a gas and electric chainsaw. Students then practiced making face cuts, delimbing trees, and sculpting chairs out of stumps. Once they could safely demonstrate these skills they took to the forest to fell their first tree. This was a pivotal moment for these two students! Both were so excited to fell their trees that their shouts of joy echoed through the forest. Stay tuned to learn about Skills Camp 2026!