HENRY COUNTY, AL — Thirty students, three educators and 16 forest industry professionals came together for the 2026 Henry County Forestry Field Day. The event, hosted by ForestryWorks® of Alabama on September 24, giving students a firsthand look at how timber moves from the forest to the sawmill.

The day began with a visit to Koinonia Plantation with Eric and Tammy O’Bryan where students learned about the importance of sustainable forest management. Students then toured another tract owned by Green Diamond, where harvesting was being conducted by Deloney Brothers Logging. Foresters, loggers, and other industry professionals shared with students about the equipment and process of harvesting, while highlighting the importance of safety. The day’s final stop was a tour of Abbeville Fiber, where students experienced forest products manufacturing by learning how a sawmill operates. Together, the stops of the day gave students a firsthand look at the people and work involved in different sectors of the forest products industry.

After the tours, Abbeville Fiber provided lunch for the students, educators, and volunteers. Maggie Pope of ForestryWorks® closed the day with a discussion of forestry careers and opportunities. Several students took the chance to speak directly with employers about potential jobs, and to learn more about their work and career paths.

Industry professionals who helped make the field day possible included Mauralon Dickerson of WestRock, Jay Kyzar of Abbeville Fiber, and Stephen Parmer of Green Diamond. The day also brought together other forestry partners and local educators who shared their time and expertise, including Henry County Career Coach Amanda Hardy, Bence Carter of the Alabama Forestry Foundation, Ed Lewis and Thomas Moss of the Alabama Forestry Commission, and agriscience teachers Jason Bryant from Headland High School and Faith Fantroy from Abbeville High School. This participation helped students connect what they saw in the field and at the mill with possible paths after high school, and highlighted the importance of the forest industry in Alabama.

About ForestryWorks®
The Forest Workforce Training Institute is a 501(c)3 non-profit foundation established in 2018 to develop a pipeline of workers for the forest industry. ForestryWorks® is FWTI’s workforce development initiative created to recruit a sustainable supply of qualified workers for the forest industry through forestry education, career promotion, and training solutions. ForestryWorks® of Alabama is made possible through FWTI’s partnership with the Alabama Forestry Association and the Alabama Forestry Foundation.