20 VIRGINIA FORESTS Holiday Lake 4-H Educational Center honored Dr. David Wm. Smith, retired associate dean of the Virginia Tech College of Natural Resources and Environment, for his participation in and support of Virginia Tech’s “Classroom in the Woods” from 1967–2009 at Holiday Lake 4-H Camp. During those 42 years, 2,241 forestry and wildlife students attended the Virginia Tech Forestry Spring Camp at the 4-H Center. Preston Wilson, President and CEO of Holiday Lake 4-H Educational Center, unveiled the framed recognition that will be mounted as part of the center’s Legacy Wall during the awards banquet at the 2023 Virginia Forestry Summit in April. “What an experience it was!” Dr. Smith exclaimed, as he recalls having the privilege of participating in the Spring Camp for 27 years. He spent a little over one year and three months of his life there, and then an additional 11 years of involvement. Dr. Smith recalled those early days: “About 60 students were all that you could have in the field at one time. That is 15 crews of four persons each. Thinking about the “thinning exercise” where each crew marked and thinned about a quarter acre in a pine plantation—that is 15 chainsaws all going at once. In the cool mornings of those April and May days there would be the deafening scream of chainsaws biting through wood— and some soil and rocks—and there would be a blue haze as far as you could see, and that was not very far. “In the early days we didn’t have ear protection, nor did we have chaps. Probably 80 percent of the students had never had a chainsaw in their hands. We were lucky: in all those years we only had one or two students that were hurt, and in those cases the cuts were minor and I think only one required a couple of stitches. We did cause a power outage in part of the county on two occasions when students felled trees on the power lines. We spent the better part of the day prior to the ‘thinning exercise’ in camp teaching the students chainsaw safety, operation, and maintenance. “One of the best things about Camp itself was how our cooks always let us take the leftovers from our suppers back to the cabins. They provided needed sustenance for those late nights. Possibly the worst Dr. David Wm. Smith Honored for Support and Service to Holiday Lake 4-H Educational Center By Preston Willson Virginia Forestry Summit Award Winners (l. to r.) Dr. David Wm. Smith and Preston Willson. Preston Willson unveils the portrait of Dr. Smith, framed in white oak, that will be displayed on the Legacy Wall at Holiday Lake 4-H Center.
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