Summer/Fall 2009 — Vol. 62, No. 3
Clemson has the largest university forest connected to a campus in the nation. But that’s only part of the story.
You don’t have to know that the Clemson Experimental Forest took root in the bleakest of times and the poorest of land to enjoy its 17,500 acres of beauty.
You don’t have to be aware of the teaching, research and public service that go on every day in this working forest to experience its gift of shade, wildlife and serenity.
You don’t need to know that this forest supports itself financially through timber production to find your way along the cool walking paths and riding trails of Issaqueena.
And you don’t need a degree in wildlife management to enjoy the sight of a deer or wild turkey in a woodland, or a hawk soaring overhead.
But if you do know something of the Clemson Forest’s history, its educational and research activities, the careful attention to wildlife within its borders, its positive impact throughout the state and beyond, then you begin to appreciate this living example of Clemson’s mission — at its best.
Web Extra: Forest of Dreams
From the ashes
During the Great Depression, the view from atop Tillman Hall revealed a bleak landscape of nearly bare hillsides and eroded fields of over-cultivated farmland. The few trees were mostly stunted from lack of topsoil or decaying from lack of management. Both the land and the economy of South Carolina were exhausted.
By the time Franklin Roosevelt took office as U.S. president in 1933, South Carolina had 19.5 million acres available for cultivation. Of those acres, about 5 million were planted and harvested. Most of the rest was virtually destroyed from depletion or unfit for agriculture.
Much of the nation suffered from similar (though not as severe) conditions. In response, Roosevelt established funds “to buy land, retire it from cultivation and develop it for pasture, forest, range, park, recreation, wildlife refuge and similar uses.”
This possibility and a deep love for his native state gave Clemson College graduate (Class of 1919) and faculty member George Aull an idea — Why not get the government to buy up land around the College, and let experts from the College reclaim the land for education, research and surrounding communities’ enjoyment?
Thanks to Aull’s and other visionaries’ efforts — that included several years of proposal writi
ng, revisions and red tape — reclamation of the land finally seemed within reach. Then World War II interrupted. (In fact, some of the land was used as a site for bombing practice!)
After the war, Clemson gained legal guardianship of the land, and by 1955, the forest was in a growth spurt — one that the construction of Hartwell Lake would shape into its current demographics.
Wild and wonderful
Today, the Clemson Forest is home to a grand assortment of native plants and animals, as documented through research by University biologists.
In addition to bears, bobcats, coyotes, deer and other mammals (50 species in all), it’s among the southernmost breeding area of wood frogs, the discovery site of five new species of insects and a canopy to 170 bird species.
On weekends, you’ll find horseback riders, bikers, joggers and walkers winding along designated trails breathing in the forest’s natural beauty and tranquility.
During the week, you’ll see a host of students and researchers at work with interests ranging from forestry to architecture, from biology to military science.
Along with students, researchers and recreational users, you’ll find individual farmers and other landowners learning better ways to manage their own land.
At the Clemson Outdoor Lab on a beautiful peninsula along Hartwell Lake, you’ll find conference and retreat goers or campers attending Jaycee Camp Hope, Camp Sertoma, Camp Lions Den and other camps, many for children with special needs.
Behind the scenes, S.C. Department of Natural Resources biologists and technicians are busy assessing and supporting wildlife, and making sure the forest is free of hunting except in limited areas and at designated times.
All the while, experts are harvesting timber and replanting trees to help the forest support itself — including more than 100 miles of road maintenance. And people you don’t see are seeking funding from state and federal sources, competitive and special grants, foundations and industries, and private donors.
Still, you don’t have to know how this once barren chunk of land entrusted to Clemson stewardship more than 70 years ago has led to this extraordinary natural habitat.
But a bit of background just might make your walk along one of the trails a little more meaningful or the cool mist on your face from a nearby waterfall even more refreshing.
To learn more about the forest, go to www.clemson.edu/cef or contact forest manager Knight Cox at kcox@clemson.edu, (864) 656-4833; or professor emeritus Ben Sill at sbenjam@clemson.edu, (864) 506-1920.
You may also want to purchase the coffee-table book Quiet Reflections, The Clemson University Forest featuring photos by nationally recognized conservationist and photographer Tommy Wyche. For more information, call (888) 772-2665 or go to www.clemson.edu/psapublishing.