Logging demos at Huestis Demonstration Forest

By Rechell McDonald
Last week students from Edson, Whitecourt, and Swan Hills had the opportunity to see how modern logging is done with sustainability in mind. Approximately 170 students were hosted throughout the day at the Huestis Demonstration Forest in partnership with Alberta Environment & Parks, Alberta Agriculture & Forestry, Inside Education, Work Wild, Woodlands County, West Fraser-Blue Ridge Lumber, and Alberta Newsprint Company.
Students were able to view three different on-site stations and watch forestry workers perform the actual tasks of timber felling, processing, and skidding. Students were also given the opportunity to interact with harvesting equipment operators and ask industry-relevant questions, on top of seeing equipment up-close.
Huestis hosts a variety of educational opportunities for the public and curriculum-linked field trips for students from grades four to 12 throughout the year. Following the success of this fall’s harvesting demonstrations, the site is planning for future live demonstrations that will include reforestation and management practices, as well as tours displaying the healthy growth taking place at the site.
Huestis Demonstration Forest is located 12 kms northwest of Whitecourt along Highway 32 in Woodlands County.