The Biltmore Forest School was the first professional forestry college in the United States. It was established in 1898 on the Biltmore Estate, near Asheville, North Carolina by Dr Carl Schenck (1868-1955). The estate was owned by George Vanderbilt (1862-1914) and at its peak amounted to approximately 50,000 ha (125,000 acres). The estate was one of the first forests in the USA to be managed on scientific principles, and provided the ideal training ground for professional foresters. Carl Schenck was responsible for management of the forest and was director of the forestry school. When he left the estate in 1909, the school continued under his aegis in a number of locations until eventually ceasing operation in 1913. The presentation here includes pictures from a study trip to North Carolina in 2013. Many original or re-constructed buildings can be seen at the Cradle of Forestry, a museum and heritage centre on the location of the original school, operated by the US Forest Service as part of what is now the Pisgah National Forest.    

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