Forests are a vast part of the American landscape and a significant driver of Alabama’s economy. Forests are renewable resources that provide wildlife habitat, recreation and economic opportunity, essential biomaterial, and a diverse array of careers for those interested in working with nature. For a hands-on introduction to field work, students in the forestry program spend the summer between their second and third years at our summer practicum program held at the Solon Dixon Forestry Education Center outside Andalusia, Alabama. In their junior year, students focus on forest biology, land management, and forest products, while in their senior year students are exposed to forest health issues and silvicultural systems. Students complete their last semester with a Senior Capstone Project that ties their previous two years of courses together developing a management plan that is presented to the school faculty and a landowner.