Field practical trainings for 3rd year forestry students started on 22nd July 2019 at SOKOINE UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE TRAINING FOREST (SUATF) located in Olmotonyi, Arusha. The supervisors were Dr.Lusambo and Mr.Kosei from the Department of Forestry and Environmental Economics. The main theme for the practical is to transpose theoretical knowledge into practical experience i.e. exposing students to the actual field situation. The practicals covered three sections; financial resources management, law enforcement and extension education. Financial resource management section was covered by Mr. Msola the accountant at SUATF.
Mr. Msola as the accountant for SUATF shared his experience on financial resource management at SUATF with the students. He insisted that financial resource management is very important section for the development of any organization.
On 23rd July 2019 the field practical continued by shifting the focus to the second section which was law enforcement. Students visited Meru/USA forest office at Olmotonyi, Arusha .The aim of the visit was to expose students on Forest law enforcement through the forest act of 2002 under the section of permit and licensing.
Students got the chance to meet with the Meru/USA plantation manager Mr.Robert Faustine and protection officer Mr.Japhary Hassan who shared their experience on forest law enforcement under the forest act of 2002. They also visited the plantation checkpoint where the attendants share their experience on how inspection is done at the checkpoint.
Finally, third year forest students visited Shiboro village for Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) on 24th of July 2019. The aim of the visit was to identify the challenges and problems facing the adjacent communities’ mainly from forest activities and management of SUA training forest using matrix scoring and ranking approach. The exercise was a success and the students appreciated a taste of field circumstances as well as capturing the perception of the locals in forestry and forest management activities.
