Kisatchie National Forest provides “Great Outdoor” summer experience for Louisiana youth
ATLANTA – The Kisatchie National Forest hosts Forestry Awareness Week on the Calcasieu Ranger District in Vernon Parish, Louisiana. This collaborative effort involved personnel from the Kisatchie National Forest, its partners, along with other federal, state and local agencies.
The forest along with Ft. Polk military post, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Louisiana State University AgCenter, Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, Natural Resources Conservation Service and three timber companies gathered to share their insight and expertise in forestry with the students as the forest hosted its Annual Forestry Awareness Week. The forest has been providing the perfect outdoor classroom for kids for many years. This year, the kids rotated between seven natural resource interpretive stations that gave them a glimpse into wildlife management, forest products, biodiversity, forest protection, forest measurements, forest litter and ecology. Hands-on activities and an interpretive hike through the forest provided an unforgettable experience to the youth and raised their awareness of the Kisatchie National Forest.
In addition to Forestry Awareness Week, the Kisatchie National Forest hosted six fishing derbies for children of all ages to get out and “Fish US.” Over 400 children participated in the fishing derbies held during various weekends in June throughout the five ranger districts of the forest. Local bass clubs, businesses and state agencies provided each child a t-shirt, lunch and fishing equipment, which included a new rod and reel, tackle box, nets and cricket keepers.
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