Gopher Peavey 1986 - Department of Forest Resources - University ...

Itasca Session '85
by Lois Pfeffer
Arrival at Lake Itasca: misty, cold, sandy volleyball
game, meet the instructors, meet the rest of the class,
27 students in all. Listen to the Park Ranger, "When
it gets dark up here it gets DARK and them big pines
don't move!"
Day one: When a student first looks at a forest, they
ask three questions: "Where'd all the mosquitos
come from? How long is it going to ram? Will my
boots ever dry out?" And . . Ah, soils . . .
Day two: Botany, meeting the big pines that don't
move. Ah, more soils. Meeting three soil pits,
leaving deep imprints on our clothes and minds.
Day three: Another plant list? Measurements, learning
about chains. How many chains does it take
to get around the bog?
Day four: Our first day off!11 Only three weeks leftl
Week one: Botany: trekking after Scotty . Where'd
he go? Ecology: finding stands and digging soil
pits-"This looks like a good spot." "Couldn't ya
get a little further off the path?" Field trip to
Beltrami County, learning about site prep, planting,
releasing trees and the importance of
beaver dams. Measurements: in most of our
stands for every 100 chains there is at least one
bog at least two links deep. Traversing taping
matches to the back of my compass, just in
case. . Canoeing to the headwaters and
playing tourist on our day off. KP duty, fun times
for all. And how 'bout that cod, eh??
31
Week two: Dear M om & Dad,
I really love my boots. My raincoat has become
one of my closest friends. See ya in 2 weeks. Enclosed
is a Rhus radicans leaf. We get tested on
it tomorrow. I hope I remember what it is by
then. This year we had the unique opportunity to
go through a fire training course thanks to the
Chippewa National Foresters. Two days of films,
lectures, taking a fire training test, getting our
red cards, going out into the field and learning
about building black lines, use of the tools, safety
first, the pump truck and brown trout? Botany
final: 40 of 136 plants fair game. YIKESII
Measurement reports. Visiting stands, counting
trees, in .. out. m.. borderline, ah,
in . . . Hold it now, which plot was the bear
seen? LET'S GET OUTTA HEREII Learning the
finer points of fudging data.
Week three: Only one more week. If I can only hang
on 'til Sundayl Learning the real meaning of
Ecology reports-2 biggies. " How many chapters
in your report?" Measurements final: " How
many board feet will you have if you measure a
Merrit Hypsometer with a prism?" .. ah, Yes.
Ecology: our last final. First in the field. The last
visits to the familiar sites and stands. Getting the
study group assembled for the written
final .. at the Northway.
When a forester first looks at a forest they ask three
questions:
W hat is there?
What is happening?
Why?
Good-bye Itasca, the memories and friends made
there will stay with me always.
Thanks for being a lake!