The Southwest Mississippi Forestry Association held its annual banquet Friday at the Horace Holmes Student Union at Southwest Mississippi Community College, with more than 100 people in attendance.
Travis Stewart presented the Logger of the Year Award to Lee and Alinda White of Liberty.
Randy McKey gave Wilda Butler of Smithdale the Tree Farmer of the Year Award. The honor had been kept secret, prompting exclamations of surprise from Butler.
Richard Hay announced J.B. Robinson of Amite County as winner of the Friend of Forestry Award, noting that Robinson had launched the association’s scholarship fund almost a decade ago.
At the banquet the group also raised $1,250 for the fund as hats were passed among the crowd. An anonymous donor matched that amount, according to association president Lee Wilson.
The evening’s guest speaker was renowned nature photographer Stephen Kirkpatrick of Madison, who presented images from his new book, “Sanctuary,” showcasing scenery and animals of the Mississippi Coastal Plain. He answered questions about his experiences photographing wildlife around the world.
The association promotes Mississippi’s forestry resource and the benefits of sustainable forestry.
