Why you should be a student member today
As a forest management or natural resource professional, you'll be making crucial decisions that can impact the future. SAF programs and services help prepare you for the environmental challenges that lie ahead.   Your SAF membership and eventual Certified Forester accreditation show perspective employers and future clients that you take the forestry profession very seriously.  In addition, student members get all the benefits of Professional Members, at a fraction of the cost.

Networking opportunities
Student members benefit from interaction with people who represent the diversity of the profession; meet potential employers; attend SAF annual state and national conventions, meeting and learning from seasoned professionals; and often participate in events at a fraction of the cost of the Professional Member fee.   Mr. Karnig is right-these meetings are still the place to be.

Technical expertise
Your membership includes affiliation with up to three Working Groups that focus on specific areas of scientific interest. Working Group newsletters, education sessions, and networking opportunities keep you in touch with the people and information in your areas of interest.  With 28 groups (e.g. forest ecology, wilderness management, economy and law, remote sensing and GIS, wildlife and fish ecology, silviculture, fire management, urban forestry, forest genetics, soil conservation, climatology, philosophy, and recreation) to choose from, you are sure to find some to meet your specific needs.

Latest information
Membership provides subscriptions to print copies of the Journal of Forestry (a $25 value), the most widely read forestry periodical in the world, and The Forestry Source ($15 value).   Members within New York will also receive the quarterly The New York Forester, which regularly features news and opportunities around the state, Forestry Foundations, and interviews with members.  Members also receive a subscription to the Roots of Forestry, which provides electronic access to Journal of Forestry, Forest Science , and the Northern, Southern, and Western Journals of Applied Forestry-from their first issue through 1999 through Ingenta (visit http://www.safnet.org/publications/roots/index.cfm  for details, and instructions for registering your free subscription).  The value of this service depends on how much it is used, as access to titles, authors, abstracts, and search capabilities is free, but viewing each full articles is $6 for nonmembers. Convenient, yes, but that could add up for us student types that would use this for classes and research papers!  Just think--read on your own time, even after the library closes, instead of waiting for the one placed on reserve. 

Forestry resources online
SAF's state of the art website includes the latest forestry and policy news, recent SAF press releases, journal highlights, classified ads, a complete listing of all certified foresters in the country and more.

"Talk amongst yourselves!"
The "Student Exchange" listserv serves as a communications tool for natural resource students from across the country. The mailing list is free of charge, but is restricted to paid student members.  To subscribe, send an email to saf-student-subscribe@igc.topica.com and leave both the subject and message area blank.

Money-saving benefits
Members are also eligible for discounts on regional journals (see Latest information for more details on free access to articles through 1999), books and merchandise from the SAF Store.  Many students participate in regional, state, and national programs, often at a discounted rate. 

Leadership skills
Participation in the student chapter can develop and hone the vital people skills that employers are seeking.

Representation in your professional organization
Student members have a voice in SAF through the National Student Assembly (NSA), which meets once a year during the national convention. It's an opportunity for students to help determine the future direction of Society programs and activities. Throughout the year, the NSA chair represents student interests to national leadership.