UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Why should you care about our forests? Because they could hold a key to your future, according to an expert in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, who urges young people to come to Ag Progress Days Aug. 19-21 and find out more.

"Nearly 60 percent of Pennsylvania is still covered by forests, and Penn State's School of Forest Resources offers a variety of career choices related to forest ecosystems, the wildlife and fish that inhabit them and the trees themselves," says Jim Finley, professor of forest resources. "Many of those careers will be highlighted in fascinating displays, presentations and hands-on activities in the College of Agricultural Sciences Exhibits Building.

"If you have an interest in forestry, wildlife and fisheries management, nature and the outdoors -- and if you think a college degree and career in those fields might be perfect for you -- don't miss 'Seeing the Forest for the Trees,' a look at Penn State's forestry, nature and wildlife research and educational programs," Finley adds. "Pennsylvania's forests provide about 100,000 jobs and $5 billion for our state economy. Almost three-fourths of the forests are owned by private landowners and about one in nine households in the state own forestland."

At "Seeing the Forest for the Trees," prospective students will find professors, instructors and current students eager to answer questions; specific information about majors relating to forestry, nature, wildlife and fish and wood products; staff who can detail scholarships and financial aid available; and fun activities, exhibits, tours and interesting presentations.

Visitors can take a walk through the "Top 10 Common Trees in PA," where they can test their knowledge and identify the state's top 10 most common tree species. Landowners will have an opportunity to see how their forests change over time with a computer model that depicts forest stand cutting and stand manipulation. A hands-on display about tree DNA will allow the viewer to go through the first and last steps of isolating DNA.

Exhibits featuring the American chestnut will show visitors the difference between healthy and unhealthy tree specimens along with other chestnut species, and will illustrate how scientists may have finally beaten the blight that virtually wiped out native chestnuts in Pennsylvania. Adjacent to the building, visitors will have a chance to look inside a log, seeing the wood it yields. They even can put a bid on the lumber, perhaps taking it home to build their own Pennsylvania red oak furniture.

Informative presentations in the building's theatre will feature such topics as "Visualizing Your Forest," a computer software program that shows how decisions made today affect the forest in the future; "Forests in DNA," a look at what tree molecular geneticists do with DNA once isolated; and "The History of Deer in Pa.," a look at the changes Pennsylvania deer have faced as the state has become more urbanized and less agriculturally based.

The schedule of presentations in the College Exhibits Building theatre follows:

Tuesday, August 19th 10 a.m. -- The Arborteum At Penn State 11 a.m. -- Visualizing Your Forest Noon -- The American Chestnut 1 p.m. -- Visualizing Your Forest 3 p.m. -- Western Pa. Conservancy Video "Upstream, Downstream: Preserving Our Way of Life" 4 p.m. -- Forests in DNA

Wednesday, August 20th 10 a.m. -- The Arboretum at Penn State 11 a.m. -- Visualizing Your Forest Noon -- American Chestnut 1 p.m. -- History of Deer in Pa. 2 p.m. -- Visualizing Your Forest 3 p.m. -- Western Pa. Conservancy Video "Upstream, Downstream: Preserving Our Way of Life" 4 p.m. -- Forests in DNA 5 p.m. -- History of Deer in Pa. 6 p.m. -- Visualizing Your Forest Thursday, August 21st 10 a.m. -- Town Meeting -- House Ag Committee 11 a.m. -- Town Meeting-- House Ag Committee Noon -- American Chestnut 1 p.m. -- Visualizing Your Forest 2 p.m. -- Western Pa. Conservancy Video "Upstream, Downstream: Preserving Our Way of Life"

Penn State's Ag Progress Days is held at the Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center at Rock Springs, nine miles southwest of State College on Route 45. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Aug. 19; 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Aug. 20; and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Aug. 21. Admission and parking are free.

For more information, call (800) PSU-1010 toll-free until August 21 or visit the Ag Progress Days Web site at http://apd.cas.psu.edu.

Contact:

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EDITORS: Contact Jim Finley at 814-863-0401 or by e-mail at jfinley@psu.edu.

Cheryl Anthony cka106@psu.edu 814-863-0938 814-863-9877 fax

Jeff Mulhollem jjm29@psu.edu 814-863-2719 814-863-9877 fax #203