SWC Board Member Steve Stevenson stacks quarter-sawn white oak lumber for air drying in a shed at his family farm near Darlington. 
These boards are the result of the first    major harvest from this forest since the oak trees sprung up from the savanna - when their ancestors settled here - 150 years ago.

Eldon Carroll from Stockton IL brought his Wood-Mizer to the site to saw the logs.  Eldon is now making plans to start up a Sustainable Woods Cooperative in NW Illinois.

About two dozens neighbors and friends from SWC joined in the work party to saw the logs.  A resaw from Timbergreen made the task of quarter sawing the oak cants an efficient operation.  Everyone enjoyed the project - except for that darn sawdust!!

The Stevenson's will gradually thin and improve their forest using low-impact      logging and Full Vigor Management.  They hope to keep this property in the        family for many more generations and will work to leave a more productive  and beautiful forest as their legacy.

Just to prove - some kids never grow up -
Steve demonstrates their childhood habit of
tree-tipping.
  for more on his sport - click here