Proctor enjoys many assets, both tangible and intangible. The school's woodlands, 2700 acres of diversified timber and topography, offer an unparalleled classroom for courses covering land use management, forestry and wildlife management. Below, Molly and Winn measure the wood mass in their specific, 5-yard parcel by using a forester's prism and sampling of local specimens.

Under the watchful and loving eye of David Pilla, the school's property is managed under a set of goals and policies that keep the focus on the long-term sustainability and optimal use of this extraordinary resource. The "pasture pine" in the background (below) was spared one hundred years ago, when the south face of Ragged was cleared for sheep. Exposed white pine are susceptible to pine weevils, which lay their eggs in the sappy terminal bud of the tree's leader. When the larvae mature, their first meal is the terminal leader. The tree responds by shooting out successive new leaders, resulting in the colossal branches.

Now, we transition to B Block Wildlife Science. Today, they are visiting a logging site on the east side of the school's property, where New Hampshire's best-regarded logger, Jack Bronnenberg, is harvesting mature trees in a manner that encourages optimal growth of the specific trees we want, for specific reasons: wildlife habitat and future economic productivity. And that's the point Jack and Dave Pilla repeat: our land use plan is one of conservation, but not preservation (which would be "hands off.") This lot has the potential to pay for itself in ways that are environmenally sustainable, and that's what we're teaching.

Land Use Manager Dave Pilla introduces Jack Bronnenberg to his wildlife science class. Jack explains that life is a matter of compromise, and proves specific examples of ethical choices he makes as he creates patches that will be aspen fields in 30 years, long after they've provided a decade of browse for ruffed growse.

On small sections of this 50-acre parcel, we're mimicking natural blow-downs (wind blasts that level whole hillsides, particularly of shallow-rooted aspen and pines) very close to an actual blow-down of aspen (most of which Jack has painstakingly harvested for sale to a local wood-turning artist.) Here's a maple that has been rubbed recently by moose antlers.

This is as much an ethics class as wildlife science. Jack's job demands that he makes a living at this, and his niche is ethical, responsible logging. "When I come to a job, my son and I say, 'How can we do this so they have us back to cut 30 or 40 years from now?'"

Proctor's land is managed with multiple use as its mission. This beautiful asset is to serve educational, economic and recreational purposes. So far, we've covered two. But last Saturday, three boys strapped on snowshoes, grapped a guitar, a harmonica and some pizza, and headed up Mud Pond Trail to spend the night in the Cabin, keeping alive a tradition that goes back 64 years.

They warmed pizza on a hot stove, (cracking a plate,) jammed on ax and harp, and took advantage of a great resource.