Visiting Forester Program at Philmont Scout Ranch, NM

1. Visiting Forester Program at Philmont Scout Ranch, NM Paul R. Sheppard and Christopher “Kit” O’Connor Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721 • Philmont Scout Ranch • Premier high adventure base in northern New Mexico • Owned and operated by the Boy Scouts of America • 214 square miles of rugged New Mexico mountains • 23,000 Scouts hike on over 400 miles of trails each summer • In 2002, a demonstration forest was developed in the backcountry • Visiting Forester Program • Foresters volunteer for one week assignments during the summer season • Food and tent cabin accommodations provided at Hunting Lodge • Foresters teach multiple aspects of forestry to the Scouts: • Tree species, forest types, elevational gradients, ecology • Forest fire history and management options, fuels treatments • Timber measurements and harvesting options, forest products • Professional and employment opportunities in forestry • 2012: Over 5000 Philmont hikers stopped to learn from Visiting Foresters • The Philmont Visiting Forester Program is a Win-Win-Win • Effective forestry outreach in a beautiful field setting • Scouts and leaders learn about forestry during their treks • Philmont Scout Ranch has another strong element in its program • SAF Foresters should consider participating, see contacts below Left: Philmont, located in the Sangre de Cristos of NM. Above: Demonstration Forest. Right, top: Visiting Forester Pavilion (the office). Right, bottom: Cimerroncito Reservoir (the view from the office). Philmont • Contacts • Mr. Mark Anderson, Director, Philmont Scout Ranch • Mark.Anderson@scouting.org, (575) 376-2281 • Ms. Mary Stuever, New Mexico State Forestry • Mary.Stuever@state.nm.us, (575) 588-7831 • http://www.foresterslog.com/Home/mary-s-links/swsaf/philmont-visiting-forester-program Left: Teaching forestry to Scouts on the trail at Philmont. Right: Fire-scarred ponderosa pine, illustrating fire history.