HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Forestry is not a common field many may find interest in. "I heard someone just, you know, in my position at that time talk about forestry and all of the scholarships that you can get and the internships," Stephanie Love, USDA Forest Service, National Diversity Student Programs Manager shares. " I decided to try it and I love it. I've been a forester for 24 years."
The USDA Forest Service Center of Excellence in Forestry (COE) at Alabama A&M University (AAMU) was established in 1993 when Chief Dale Robertson of the US Forest Service (USFS) and the Deputy Secretary of Agriculture signed a proclamation at AAMU to train young people, many of whom African Americans, for careers in the USFS. " This is part of a 360-degree approach to outreach and forestry," Love shares. "So, we think if we plant the seed of the importance of natural resources and for us in our daily lives, when the children are young, then they'll take an interest and perhaps want to pursue as a part of their education in forestry here at Alabama A&M, and then one day go on to become a quality asset in the forestry industry."
That industry has played a big role in our daily lives. "There are so many things that we use all day, every day that if it weren't for forests would not exist, like toothpaste and deodorant and rubber and aspirin," Love shares. "And it's those new, newly acquired parts. and the knowledge of just knowing that forest is not just about wood and paper that impacts our daily lives.
Love is taking her passion for forestry and sharing it with the next generation with events like the forestry fair "today we're here for our 10th annual forestry fair, whereby we invite youth from the area to learn about the role of forests in our daily lives and sustainable management of natural resources," Love shares. "This is part of a 360-degree approach to outreach and forestry so, we think if we plant the seed of the importance of natural resources and for us in our daily lives, when the children are young, then they'll take an interest and perhaps want to pursue as a part of their education in forestry here at Alabama A&M, and then one day go on to become a quality asset in the forestry industry."