Part I: Recognizing the unsung heroes
Student groups play a valuable role in educating fellow students. Here, I take a moment to highlight some accomplishments by the Duke Society of American Foresters (SAF) and Farmhand.
At the Nicholas school, there is a high student group to student ratio for such a small program. These groups bring students together to socialize, learn from one another, and to improve the Nicholas school. Though there are many groups to recognize, I start with two:
1) Society of American Foresters (SAF): This small group of foresters/forest appreciators has been extremely active at Duke this year.
- Last week, SAF held an all-day symposium "Forestry in a Globalized and Changing World" in the Bryant Center. It was a really well-attended professional event packed full of expert panelists. Turns out that foresters are also great event planners!
- SAF was involved in one of the first cross-collaborative socials at the Nicholas school since I've been here. They combined forces with FOREM to host a lumberjack gathering in the Duke forest, fit with kegs, flapjacks and a campfire. Despite a rainy night, there was high turnout from students, including a large group of Sanford Institute students.
- This semester, SAF members also launched a fundraiser, where they are selling North Carolina-grown Fraser Christmas trees to fund the creation of an organic Christmas tree farm at the Duke forest.
- Check out their updated, hip website here!
2) Farmhand: This group volunteers at local farms and takes an active role in connecting students with their food.
- Farmhand hosted the Local Food Challenge. They worked with local farms and vendors to organize and sell food boxes to students and faculty. Many students took the pledge to incorporate local ingredients in their meals throughout the week.
- Farmhand also organized the first annual Fall Festival, an afternoon at a local farm that included farm tours, hayrides, blacksmith demonstrations, a pig roast, a potluck dinner provided by students, a local bluegrass band, and campfire. This was definitely one of my favorite events at the Nicholas school.
I will follow with Part II, where I recognize other student groups who are making the Nicholas School a better place.
