Students from Cypress High School participate in 2021 San Bernardino Forestry Challenge

Five students from Cypress High School participated recently in the 2021 San Bernardino Forestry Challenge, one group of a total of 64 high school students from 10 schools from the Southern California area. The event was November 10 to 13 at Hume SoCal near Green Valley Lake, California.

One of the highlights for the students this year was the opportunity to conduct a forest inventory of the 21.5-acre Camp Hinckley in Running Springs. Students proposed a reforestation plan in the wake of the Slide Fire of 2007 that includes fuel treatment and tree planting and identified funding sources to cover the anticipated cost of the project. During the Challenge, teams of students also completed a field test to assess their technical forestry knowledge and data collecting skills.

“I’m so proud of the student team from Cypress! Students gained real-world experience working with industry experts in a fun program,” said Cypress High School teacher Mrs. Erin Doherty. Alexa Townsend-Seidel, a senior at Cypress High, summed it up as follows: “I plan to major in natural resources and outdoor products. The Forestry Challenge gave me the opportunity to learn skills I won’t have to wait until college to learn.”