The Mississippi State University chapter of the Society of American Foresters has been named the best student SAF chapter in the nation.
Greg Bentley, president of MSU-SAF,  said the win concretes the fact MSU has incredible forestry programs.
“To come out on top just shows that the teaching we give at the university and the leadership we (provide) is being recognized,” he said.
Robert Grala, assistant professor in the Department of Forestry, is a faculty advisor for MSU-SAF. He said the win shows the commitment level of students in MSU-SAF.
“It is a good reflection on our students and our college and also our university,” Grala said. “It shows the commitment of our university forestry profession and also the commitment of the university to facilitate various student activities.”
Bentley said winning the award is significant because MSU-SAF competed against all other forestry schools in the nation with SAF chapters.
The category of best student chapter takes into consideration community service and projects.
“For any club to compete against us, they would have to be really involved, because we try to be as involved in the community as we can,” he  said.
MSU-SAF is involved in a variety of community service projects including Adopt-a-Highway, where the group is responsible for cleaning a section of the road on Highway 25, and Project Learning Tree, in which members go to elementary schools and do a presentation on natural resources, Bentley said.
Bentley said MSU-SAF also sends workers to help with the Habitat for Humanity Maroon Edition House and plans to plant trees on campus during Arbor Day.
Grala said MSU-SAF is involved in many activities at the university and college level.
“Our activities are very diverse,” he said. “We have an organization that allows students to interact on many different dimensions.”
Grala said student members are sent to various professional meetings throughout the state to network with professionals in the industry. Some of these meetings include the Mississippi chapter of SAF and the Mississippi Forestry Association.
“What (MSU-SAF) does is help students … learn about forestry jobs (and) where the forestry profession is going,” he said. “This way they are simply better positioned to be more successful in the future.”
Bentley said MSU-SAF has also ranked in other national competitions. It has won in the category of best website in SAF for the past six years. This excludes 2011 as the category was discontinued because not enough schools submitted websites.
MSU-SAF usually places in the top 10 in the Southeastern Conclave events, he said.
Grala said on Saturday, MSU-SAF will have a field day to help its student members prepare for forestry conclave events, which are organized by the Association of Southern Forestry Clubs.
During the event, MSU-SAF will also decide which students are going to participate in the spring conclave events, he said.
Jonathan Stool, vice president of MSU-SAF, said the field days are fun, exciting and challenging. The entire department of forestry is invited. During the event, freshmen will be introduced to the different events on the history of forestry.
“(Field days) give students an appreciation of where forestry comes from and (helps them) see what they’ll learn for the next two years in the program,” he said.
Stool said winning a national award helps break the image of Mississippi being a lower class state. It also breaks stereotypes about foresters.
“Foresters traditionally have a bad name as a bunch of roughians, and foresters across the country are trying to break that mold,” he said. “It is nice to break that image.”
The main purpose of MSU-SAF is not just to benefit the students who are involved but to leave an impact.
“The whole reason for the club is not for the members,” Stool said. “It’s for what we can do for the college and the community around us.”