The school's colors are orange and black. To the 25 students in Jack Lowers' forestry class, the tradition is a source of pride. Scio's forestry program is one of only about nine left in Oregon high schools, Lowers said. It's also one of the smaller programs in the state. Scio students have taken first place in the annual state forestry competition five years running.
People take it because it's a tradition.
Their brothers and sisters took it. Today, the success of the Scio High School forestry program is somewhat at odds with tradition. Students who take the course don't just learn how to chop down trees. They study concepts such as sustainable harvesting or balancing the replacement of felled trees with new ones. On a recent Saturday, they planted 30 saplings in downtown Scio for a community-service project.