Several years ago, recruiting materials for new Forestry undergraduate students invited applicants to “Discover Forestry” – an appropriate recruiting phrase for so many reasons.  Forestry majors “discover”, “understand”, “experience”, “know” and “live” their undergraduate experience, rather than simply studying a subject. The Department of Forestry immerses students into the Forestry curriculum beginning in their sophomore year.  By the time they graduate, Forestry majors will have experienced at least 17 classes with labs (approximately 76 Contact Hours). When nearly one-third of the curriculum comes in the form of hands-on, experiential labs, many of which are outdoors, students develop a special understanding of their chosen degree and a special relationship with their classmates.

Opportunities for Academic Enrichment in Forestry include:

	Forestry majors participate in a 14-hour Spring Field Semester, which is designed to be a total immersion into the practice and application of forestry and natural resource management in the field and office.Students visit numerous sites throughout Kentucky and the region to see different ecosystems, land-uses, land ownership types, and wood industry facilities.During these visits, students get the chance to meet with professionals in the field - federal and state forest agencies, forest industry, and other related industries and agencies. Early in the semester, students will participate in a "low" and "high" challenge ropes course led by Asbury University's Adventure Program in Wilmore, Kentucky. The experientially-based outdoor program will provide an effective student learning atmosphere to develop team building, leadership, and communication skills to provide students with necessary skills to work together as a team throughout the spring field semester and during their senior year.
	Classes such as Forest Fire Control and Use, Forest Operations and Utilization, and Inventory and Measurements II provide students the opportunity to conduct actual field exercises under the supervision of departmental faculty.  Hands-on courses are integrated so that data collected in the Inventory and Measurements class will be used to develop silvicultural prescriptions in the Silvicultural Practices class. These prescriptions and concepts will then be applied to the Forest Operations and Utilization class.  The entirety of this Spring Field Semester experience sets Forestry majors apart from their colleagues in other fields.
	Forestry majors also work under the supervision of faculty during a five-hour senior capstone course in which students prepare a forest management plan for local landowners.  Students work in teams to meet with actual landowners to develop a real-life management scenario for a forested location in Kentucky.  Students repeatedly discuss management objectives and options with the landowners and then present the results of their management plan in a public forum where audience members include faculty, staff, landowners, and other students. The recent revision of our curriculum has enabled the Forestry Department to begin working toward a more structured and engaged internship program for our students. We hope to begin matching interested students with appropriate employers to give our graduates resume-worthy experience in the field of most interest to them. Newer faculty members in our department have also recently expressed interest in providing opportunities for our students to begin studying abroad and we expect to pursue these options over the next few years.
	Other hands-on opportunities available to Forestry students include the chance to become student members of the forestry professional society (Society of American Foresters, SAF).  Students often attend local, regional, and international meetings where they interact and compete with other students, faculty, and staff from the forestry profession.
	There are also many volunteer opportunities for Forestry students including Reforest the Bluegrass,  Appalachian Region Reforestation Initiative, and Forestry Conclave – all of which help develop leadership skills and a sense of professional community among students.