Sept. 19, 2019 Spotted lantern Fly program presented by Sandy Feather from the Allegheny County Penn State Extension
January 19,2019 Field Trip to the Ames Mill
Tribune Review article and video
Photos (right) by Shane Dunlap
1 High quality red oak slabs moving along the green chain to the "optimizer" scanning unit ahead of the re saw unit.
2. WWIA president John Hilewick welcoming everyone to the field trip and tour.
3 De-barked logs ready for introduction to the log deck for sawing on the head rig.
4 Another view of Mr. Cannin in the log yard by the stems set aside for further examination and potential tramp metal extraction by "hand methods" prior to any band saw processing activity.
5 A view of a portion of the mill facility where stock recovery and planning operations occur, when in operation.
6 The assembled WWIA members and guests listening to Mr. Cannin provide historic information about the mill facility prior to the tour, the "Babcock" days and the present circumstances of operation by the Ames Corp.
7 Mr. Cannin explaining to the group the processes that occur within the log yard and from where Ames acquires it's supply of timber.
8 WWIA members and guests listening intently to Mr. Patrick Cannin, Ames facility manager, explaining circumstances regarding tramp metal in logs and the damage it can cause to mill processing equipment if encountered.
9. Another view of sawn slabs moving along the green chain to the re-saw.
10. View of the "antique" but very efficient handle dowel making machine.
11 WWIA members watching the de-barker unit receive logs from the stock pile.
12. Slabbed timber moving along the green chain to the re-saw unit.
13. Logs that have been identified as potentially having tramp metal in them, from the magnetic scanner on the de-barker/cant saw system.
14. View of the log yard with substantial inventory.
15. WWIA tour members watching re-sawing process along the green chain merry-go-round equipment.
16. View of operator and dowel making machine that starts with resawn squares. machine is circa. late 1800's.
17. Pallets of handle dowels and squares after coming out of the dimension shop.
18. View of Cleerman, vertical double cut band saw head rig for breaking down debarked logs into cants for re-sawing.
Oct. 19, 2013: Woods, Water, & Wildlife Conference at Westmoreland Conservation District barn
Contact us
quadroanthony@gmail.com or 724-972-2946
jandd.hilewick@gamail.com or 724-925-1667
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June 13, 2015: Forbes State Forest field trip Forest Management Skills Day.
June 14, 2014: Forbes State Forest field trip, visiting prescription sites such as American Chestnut regeneration plantation, deer exclusion, modified clearcut. Discussion led forester Mike DiRinaldo.
8th Annual Forbes State Forest field trip/tour and skills day
Saturday, June 9, 2018
June 14, 2016: Timber Stand Improvement activities, Forbes State Forest
May 14, 2016: Beckettsrun Tree Farm Field Day. WWIA congratulates Beckettsrun on receiving the PA and National Tree Farm award for 2015-2016.
October 18, 2014: WWIA visits Louis and Kate Lobdell's property on Youngstown Ridge to see a golden wing warbler habitat improvement cut. Tammy Colt, Tony Quadro were among the hosts.
Mike DiRinaldo, DCNR, and Jessica Salter and David Planinsek of the
PA Bureau of Forestry led the event at Laurel Hill state park and the adjacent
Forbes State Forest lands.
Featured in these photos by Raul Chiesa:
- Eastern Hemlock along Laurel Hill Creek--specimens of old growth that are a couple
- of hundred years old and spared, somehow, from the logging activities in the 1800's.
- At the plantation site--backcrossed specimens of American Chestnut tree as hybrids
- with Chinese Chestnuts that have been planted by the PA Bureau of Forestry in
- collaboration with the American Chestnut Foundation. They are in the study program
- involved in working to bring back the chestnut tree in our forests with a good degree of
- resistance to the blight fungus.
- Attendees in the field areas in on Forbes/Laurel Hill Park land learning about and
- viewing progress/work being undertaken to accomplish re-establishment of native
- warm season grasses and forbs on former farm fields.