Beginning the week of Sept. 18 through Friday, Nov. 17, Stephen F. Austin State University’s Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture will host NacogdoTREES, a free, community-wide contest celebrating the natural beauty of Nacogdoches.
“The goal of the NacogdoTREES is to highlight the importance of urban and community trees, raise awareness of their ecological benefits, introduce the community to the field of forestry and encourage citizens to spend time outdoors,” said Sarah Fuller, outreach coordinator for SFA’s Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture.
The competition includes categories for largest tree circumference, largest crown, tallest tree, best shade tree as well as best tree overall. To teach some of the basic forestry measurements, such as tree height and crown spread, college faculty members also developed videos available on the competition webpage that guide participants through the process.
“Keep in mind that it’s not just all about numbers and measurements,” said Dr. Shelby Laird, SFA assistant professor of forestry. “The best overall tree may be the tree with the best story, the most fans or simply just the most beautiful. We really hope that NacogdoTREES will encourage people to get out to some of our amazing city parks and recreation areas on campus.”
The competition also will serve as a learning opportunity for beginning forestry students at SFA. Students enrolled in Laird’s course, Careers and Competencies in Forestry, will execute technical measurements needed to determine the winners of those categories. Laird said she also hopes the competition will provide insight into what specifically endears individuals to certain trees, and provide baseline data for future research.
Trees eligible for submission must be located on the SFA campus, properties managed by Nacogdoches Parks and Recreation or on your personal property. For competition guidelines and entry form, a list of prizes, as well as area maps and resources, visit forestry.sfasu.edu/nacogdotrees.
