Forest Scene, Fall 2023 - Field Session Snapshots

December 29, 2023


Every August, our students head into the woods for overnight Field Sessions at the Cloquet Forestry Center and the Hubachek Wilderness Center, among other sites.

These sessions can form some of the most impactful experiences of a student's career so far.

Curious what happens at our Field Sessions? Follow along as we take you on two different trips...

Park and Protected Area Management Field Studies (FNRM 3206/5206)

A group of five people are seated on the edge of a lake watching a sunset. They are dressed in sweatshirts. The sky reflects in the water below and bursts with a splash of orange and pink light through some gray clouds.
Students overlook Good Lake in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Photo: Ingrid Sund.
Two young women study a map while seated on some grass besides a lake. The woman on the left is wearing a brown baseball cap, a short-sleeved shirt, and long black pants. The woman on the right is wearing a red-and-white mesh baseball cap, a tank top, and shorts. There is a box of snacks in the background and another person's arm shows in the bottom right corner of the photo. There is the bow of a canoe in the background.
Undergraduates Claire Volk and Sairoong Brumer study a map in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Photo: Ingrid Sund.

Every fall, Professor Mae Davenport brings students on a 10-day Field Study course in northern Minnesota. Students learn about park and wilderness management, indigenous stewardship, environmental policy, and tribal treaty rights.

Hands-on training is a big part of the course. Students practice cultural resource protection, wildlife population estimates, campsite impact analysis, water quality monitoring, camping, canoeing, and orienteering.

A young woman with blond hair, a fishing hat, sunglasses, and a sun-bleached safety jacket at the bow of a canoe takes a selfie while smiling broadly. Behind her is a middle-aged woman in a gray baseball cap, a long-sleeved shirt and pants, and a sun-bleached safety vest. She also has a huge smile. They are paddling on a lake on a sunny day with a clear blue sky. There is a forest in the background, reeds behind them, and several lily pads floating on top of the water.
Professor Mae Davenport paddles a canoe with grad student Ann Marie Gunness. Photo: Ann Marie Gunness.

So, too, is speaking with professionals working in parks and protected area management. Several discussions are organized with tribal, federal, and state natural resource managers and tourism officials so that students can learn about careers in recreation, natural and cultural resource management, and sustainable tourism.

But best of all? The group embarks on a 3-day wilderness canoe trip.

Pro tip for this course: Pack lots of bug spray!

Learn more about Park and Protected Area Management Field Studies (FNRM 3206/5206).

Introductory Cloquet Field Session: Measuring Forest Resources (FNRM 2104)

A group of about 24 students have their backs turned to the camera as they listen to instructions. They are in a clearing facing a wooded area. All wear orange hardhats and long-sleeved shirts and pants. A red truck is in the background.
Students receive instruction during the tree felling activity at the Cloquet Forestry Center in August. Photo: Nick Parrott.
Two students in field gear and orange hardhats record timber measurements. One leans over the top of a piece of timber, which is standing vertically, and writes something. The other holds a clipboard and a pen.
Two students record notes and measurements. Photo: Nick Parrott.

The Introductory Cloquet Field Session takes place every August at the Cloquet Forestry Center — the 3,391-acre research and education forest located within the Fond du Lac Indian Reservation. This field session is divided into sections focused on forest ecology, forest measurements, and field botany. Participating students spend 80 percent of their time learning and conducting research out in the forests.

Research Associate Professor Chris Edgar leads the Measuring Forest Resources component, which introduces students to practical field measurement techniques used in field forestry and timber cruising, and culminates in a field final exam.

A student whose face is obscured by the orange hardhat they are wearing measures the width of a piece of timber. A small notebook is placed besides the timber and a piece of paper with instructions is folder and set aside. Additional students in hardhats are doing similar work in the background.
The tree felling activity is a highlight of the course as it's often the first time students get to practice estimating a tree's volume based on cross-sectional analysis. Photo: Nick Parrott.

Together, students practice:

  • DBH measurement

  • Surveying

  • Mapping/aerial photography

  • Height measurement

  • Vegetation sampling with fixed-radius plots

  • Timber sampling with variable-radius plots

A highlight for many students is when the group works together to fell a tree. The activity incorporates measuring, marking, and sampling. It's also pretty cool to watch a tree get properly cut down!

Pro tip for this course: Pack a pair of heavy-duty work pants!

Learn more about the Introductory Cloquet Field Session (FNRM 2104).

Thanks for tagging along, folks!

A close-up photo of stacked timber overlaid with the text "Forest Scene: Issue 30, Fall 2023". The UMN Forest Resources logo is at the bottom. All text is in white and evergreen sprigs provide some green coloring.

The Forest Scene newsletter is published biannually in the spring and fall, featuring stories and updates from the Department of Forest Resources. Readers can download issue 30 of Forest Scene as an interactive PDF that is fully tagged and compatible with most screen readers, or read the individual stories here in a web-based format: