Last day of Forestry Expo open to public
Bigfork fifth grader David Khodyrev lets a crawfish pinch his finger at the Forestry Expo in Columbia Falls. According to Flathead National Forest Public Affairs Officer Denise Germann the annual expo brings in approximately 1500 students over the five days. The public is invited to the Family Forestry Expo today from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Demonstrations will be at 10:30 and 1 p.m. include the FVCC Logger Sports Team competition, the Mule String Packing showcase, and the Logging Equipment Operations. Additionally there will be a free logging camp lunch from 11:30 to 1 p.m.
Elrod fifth grader Ashton Yarde tentatively holds out his hand to let Sassy have a treat on Friday at the Forestry Expo in Columbia Falls. In the background Bob Friedman of Back Country Horsemen of the Flathead shows other students the correct way to approach and feed the horses.
The public is invited today to the 21st annual Family Forestry Expo near Columbia Falls.
During the week, fifth-graders from across Northwest Montana visited the Expo at the Trumbull Creek Educational Forest.
Today the Expo is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. In a change from previous years, the Expo will not be open on Sunday.
The forest, owned by Stoltze Land and Lumber, features a .7-mile nature trail with a variety of educational stations and demonstrations covering fisheries, aquatic ecosystems, archaeology, wildlife, fire, backcountry ethics, plant identification, forestry and more.
A grandstand show features logging equipment demonstrations and the Spotted Bear Ranger District mule pack string. The Flathead Valley Community College Logging Sports Team competition will be held at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. today.
A free logging camp lunch will be provided from 11:30 am. to 1 p.m.
The Trumbull Creek Educational Forest is located off Half Moon Road, two miles north of the intersection of Montana 40 and U.S. 2.
For more information on the Internet, look for: www.familyforestryexpo.org
There also are exhibits featuring local organizations, businesses and agencies that deal with natural resources.
The expo is organized by volunteers from businesses, organizations and government agencies each spring.