North coast teachers tour forest
From the Autumn 2007 edition of Bush Telegraph Magazine.
Thirteen teachers from the New South Wales north coast got a firsthand look at forest management practices on a hosted tour last December.
A key professional development opportunity offered by Forests NSW for teachers and environmental educators, the trip focused on forest management for timber production and other values.
Tour organiser, Forests NSW education officer, Gerard Nolan, said participants found the two-day trip informative, particularly sessions with community liaison forester, David Wilson.
According to David, the teachers were intrigued by Forests NSW ecology survey system, where ecologists visit proposed harvesting areas up to 18 months before harvesting to assess a range of threatened species.
“These surveys include calls for bats, surveys for koalas, quolls and owls that require areas to be set aside from harvest to protect them or their habitat,” David said.
“They also heard about different silviculture methods. Most people don’t realise that in north coast native forests, there are just two harvest methods: single tree selection, where the forest is disturbed as little as possible to extract trees, and Australian group selection, where areas up to a quarter of a hectare are opened up to allow the area to regenerate.”
Gerard Nolan said the teachers on the trip gained information applicable to their subject areas that included senior science and biology, senior geography and primary Human Society and Its Environment (HSIE) syllabus.
“Gaining contemporary information with the opportunity to ask frank questions face-to-face is a real bonus,” he said.
Gerard said that free development tours for educators are planned for 2007, with details available at www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/forests or Ph: (02) 9872 0105.
Public Affairs & Media, Coffs Harbour
