College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science Blog

Category: Student Organizations

One Final Lesson: CFRES Grad Selected to Address Fellow Huskies at Mid-Year Commencement

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Quinn Riordan stands in the UJ Noblet Forestry Building, smiling with her arms crossed in a confident pose.
Quinn Riordan looks forward to a career teaching others about environmental stewardship, thanks to her hands-on experiences at Michigan Tech.

When Quinn Riordan shares her farewell message as the 2025 student speaker for Midyear Commencement, she’ll also be continuing to prepare for her future.

“I’m pursuing a career in environmental education and research, which requires a lot of public speaking,” said Riordan. “What’s a better opportunity to get more practice than in front of my whole class?”

Riordan, who is earning her bachelor’s degree in applied ecology and environmental science, said she’s honored to be selected as speaker and grateful to College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science Dean David Flaspohler, who gave her the nudge she needed to throw her hat into the ring.

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Forestry and Wildlife Club Represent Tech at National Conferences

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More than 25 foresters and SAF members from around the country gather outside for a workshop on types of wood-cutting axes during the SAF National Convention.
Forestry and Wildlife conferences are more outdoorsy than your typical convention. (Photo courtesy of the MTU Forestry Club)

The College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science was well-represented at two national conferences this fall—the Society of American Foresters National Convention and The Wildlife Society’s Annual Conference.

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Forestry Club Tree-dition Plants Seeds for a Merry and Bright Future

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Two forestry club members pose carrying a massive tree through the snowy woods.
Michigan Tech’s Forestry Club harvested 86 trees for their annual Christmas Tree sale from two Tech owned properties. All photos courtesy of club secretary Tristan Walk.

Michigan Tech’s Society of American Foresters Forestry Club’s annual tree sale is a long-standing tradition at Michigan Tech. Forestry Club secretary and forestry major Tristan Walk ’26 said the written record of the sale dates to the early 1980s, while the anecdotal record places the start of the tradition somewhere in the 1960s or 1970s. Club paperwork shows trees were bought wholesale from tree farms south of Chassell and in Iron River in the 1990s through the 2000s, although neither company offers bulk wholesale these days.

In recent years, the club has supplied their sale with wild-cut trees from Michigan Tech’s Wilkinson Tract. Students drive out into the woods and fan out on foot, assessing the types of trees they are looking for based on what is available in the area and what is best for the forest. Club members usually cut six- to eight-foot conifers as well as small “Charlie Brown” sapling trees, taking care to thin the area but not decimate the conifer population. They also seek out one larger 15- to 20-foot tree for the U. J. Noblet Forest Resources Building Atrium.

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