This holiday season you can put small-diameter pine trees to use and cultivate tomorrow\u2019s foresters while decorating your tree.<\/p>\n
Northern Arizona University\u2019s Centennial Forest is selling \u201ctree cookie\u201d ornaments made from unwanted skinny ponderosa pine trees that have overpopulated Southwestern forests.<\/p>\n
Proceeds from the $8 to $15 ornaments will send youth to forestry camp. Tree cookie ornaments will be available at Heritage Square during First Friday Art Walk from 6 to 9 p.m. Dec. 3. Those interested in purchasing the ornaments or placing customized orders also may log on to\u00a0nau.edu\/cfcamps<\/a>\u00a0or call (928) 523-6727.<\/p>\n Cheryl Miller<\/strong>, director of the Centennial Forest Junior Forester Camp, says she can carve out about 50 ornaments from a small tree and is taking orders. \u201cThese are becoming very popular for families who want to display photos of their loved ones in a unique way,\u201d she said. \u201cCompanies can put their logos on them for a holiday gift to their employees.\u201d<\/p>\n Miller says the Centennial Forest Junior Forester Academy south of Flagstaff has provided an outdoors experience and conservation training to more than 500 young people ages 9 to 16 in the last seven years. The weeklong camp costs $650 per camper, which she hopes to offset with sales from the tree ornaments.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"