66th Annual Southern Forestry Conclave
Alabama A&M University (AAMU) had the honor of hosting this year’s 66th Annual Southern Forestry Conclave, held at the AAMU Agribition Center in Huntsville, AL. The event brought together 14 forestry clubs and nearly 250 participants, all competing for individual titles and the coveted overall championship trophy.
The Association of Southern Forestry Clubs was chartered in 1958, with 11 colleges and universities coming together to compete in a forestry conclave. Their goals were not only to compete against each other for the title of being the best school of foresters in the region but also to foster fellowship, professionalism, sportsmanship, teamwork, and leadership throughout the southeast.
Conclave events were chosen based on common skill sets that foresters historically needed to survive and work in the wood industry. For example, log rolling evolved from lumberjack practices of pushing floating logs down to the rivers, where the logs would then float to sawmills. If the logs jammed or got stuck, these men would have to walk across the logs to unjam them, which is where the log-birling event came from. This entire process was also known as “river driving.”
The University of Georgia hosted the first Southern Conclave, and it’s been on a rotation ever since to ensure each school has the honor of hosting. While there have been a few schools that have come and gone, the core of the organization remains intact and has grown to include other colleges, including but not limited to Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College and Alabama A&M University.
Results for past conclaves and current events can be found on Stephen F. Austin State University’s website (https://www.sylvanstimbersports.com/index.php/asfc-conclave), where they host PDFs of historic Southern Foresters publications.
Here is an overview of this year’s Conclave:
Thursday, March 20th, 2025
Festivities began as teams arrived and set up their campsites. The welcome reception featured food catered by a local favorite, and guests were officially welcomed to “The Hill” by the Dean of the College of Agriculture, Life, and Natural Sciences. Teams camped in the open field or the woods behind the Agribition Center, braving the 28-degree temperatures that Thursday night. A communal fire was lit, and the LSU team offered their legendary crawfish boil.
Friday, March 21st, 2025
Friday morning kicked off with the start of technical events, allowing students to showcase the skills they’ve developed in their forestry courses throughout their time at school. These events included dendrology (Louisiana Tech), pole classification (NC State), compass and pacing (LSU), forest health, timber estimation (Georgia), wildlife identification (Arkansas), wood identification (MSU), and DBH estimation (MSU).
After lunch, the focus shifted to physical events. Axe throwing led the charge, with an exciting tiebreaker for third place between Alabama A&M and Auburn, with Auburn coming out on top. Next came knife throwing—won by Jacob Barrett (SFA), followed by pole felling, won by Cameron Brewer (MSU), and pole climbing, won by Weston Williams (SFA). Events wrapped up at the AAMU Health and Wellness Center with the crowd-favorite: log birling. The championship match between Stephen F. Austin and Mississippi State was intense, with Anna Jenkins (MSU) taking the win. The day ended with dinner from a local establishment and another communal bonfire to fend off the chill of the night.
Saturday, March 22nd, 2025
Saturday featured the remaining physical events, with archery starting out in the morning and being won by Jacob Barrett (SFA), followed by chain throw, which was won by Katie Grenier and Paige Sumner (SFA). The bow saw competition came next, with the women’s bow saw dominated by Rosalie McGuirk (VT), while Trent Kline (SFA) won the men’s bow saw. Log rolling began directly after lunch, and Spenser Schmid and Austin Davis (NC State) showed off their strength and perseverance with the oversized and saturated sweetgum log.
Women’s crosscut caused quite a raucous when Holly and Maddie’s (SFA) cut matched the world record crosscut time of 4.69 seconds! Men’s crosscut was won by Evan Beaver and Corbin Armon (Arkansas), and Jack & Jill crosscut was won by Trent Kline and Holly Parkin (SFA).
The final event was the log chop, which is considered the most thrilling event of the Conclave. Participants wear protective gear on their shins and feet as they chop furiously through a wood cant. The excitement in the arena was palpable as everyone cheered on the competitors. One of the most emotional moments came when the female log chopper for Louisiana Tech dropped to her knees in awe and relief after successfully chopping through the wood within the allotted time. The log chop closed the competition with fierce performances—Rosalie McGuirk (Virginia Tech) claimed first in the women’s event, while Trent Kline (Stephen F. Austin) secured the win in the men’s division.
Videos of all of the weekend’s events can be seen on the Sylvans Conclave YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uA82l_AKFAY&list=PLYHwEvrJN8Uwk561TYhM8I7MwEU6vRRci
Throughout the Conclave, students gave their best in multiple events, with some even trying new challenges for the first time. After dinner, the award ceremony recognized outstanding performances. Louisiana Tech placed third in physical events, NC State took second, and Stephen F. Austin claimed first. In technical events, Florida placed third, NC State second, and Georgia first. Ultimately, Stephen F. Austin earned the overall championship trophy. Alabama A&M was honored with the Sportsmanship Award, which was voted on by the other teams. The evening ended with a final bonfire made from reused wood and event pallets.
Acknowledgments
The AAMU Forestry Club worked tirelessly to prepare a welcoming atmosphere for all participants. The success of Conclave was made possible by a multitude of people, including but not limited to the efforts of AAMU Forestry faculty, staff members, and the Agribition Center, in addition to several caterers, first responders, and students/faculty from other universities.
Additionally, the Conclave could not be held without the generous support of sponsors, of which many thanks and gratitude have been given to: Weyerhaeuser, Tennessee Valley Authority, Rayonier, Thompson Appalachian Hardwoods, US Forest Service, Society of American Foresters, Fire Generation Collaborative, Council Tools, and Madison County Water Department.
Looking Ahead
The 2026 Southern Forestry Conclave will be hosted by the University of Arkansas at Monticello. Undergraduates of any major in the member schools are encouraged to participate in the Forestry Conclave and experience the sportsmanship and camaraderie this event fosters.
