Maribeth Lewing, center in blue, a Master Gardener in Sabine Parish, gave students at the Zwolle Tamale Fiesta a see-through container to plant lima beans and sunflowers. (Click on photo for downloadable image.) (Photo by Mary Ann Van Osdell)

News Release Distributed 10/10/11

ZWOLLE, La. – About 250 third-graders from eight schools in Sabine Parish learned about forestry, wildlife and furs, horses and gardening at the Zwolle Tamale Fiesta on Oct. 7.

Robbie Hutchins, LSU AgCenter forester, told the students that trees are a crop. “Oranges, fruits and nuts grow on a tree. Forestry has more monetary value than rice, sugarcane, chickens and horses,” he said.

Hutchins had wood byproducts on display – boxes, money, duck calls, tables, pencils, toilet paper – even lip balm. “It has chemicals burned by wood,” he said. “Part of this lip gloss could be from a tree in Sabine Parish.

He said foresters give talks to landowners and make recommendations on how to manage trees. “We talk about how to keep a forest healthy and growing,” Hutchins said.

Donny Moon, LSU AgCenter agent in Winn Parish, had pelts and skulls on display. He talked about what each animal eats and its habitat. He said Louisiana used to lead the nation in wild trapped furs, but the market has gone down.

Moon said possums are kin to kangaroos, that the largest canine is a coyote and that river otters like to play.

Cindy Smith, LSU AgCenter agent in Red River Parish, demonstrated how to clean and feed a horse. “You don’t have to own a horse to be in the 4-H horse project,” she said. “You can be on a quiz bowl team and learn from a project book.”