I had just told him and the other 11- and 12-year-old boys that the inch-long insects we were finding attached to pine trees were called periodic cicadas and were edible.

I turned to see what Dustin was squealing about. He pointed to Levi and said, "Look!" Levi opened his mouth and stuck out his tongue. On the end of it was a big periodic cicada.

Just about every Tuesday afternoon for the past nine weeks, things like that happened at forestry practice.

Along with learning to identify 45 native trees, the boys at forestry practice were also learning to identify 25 insects and diseases that attack our trees. They learned how to determine timber volume (also known as cruising timber) and how to determine distance by pacing.

4-H Forestry Field Day

All of this training was in preparation for the district 4-H forestry field day competition. The Heard County team won second place. The state 4-H forestry field day is Oct. 6.

The boys — Caleb, Dustin, Levi, and Phillip — were all interested in learning something new and outside of school. They now know things about our forests that very few adults (and I dare say none of their classmates) know.

These boys didn't come to practice every week to become foresters. They came because they wanted to learn.

I've trained many groups over the past 20 years.

One of my very first was a group of boys from Troup County. They not only won the district competition, but went on to win the state competition and represented Georgia at the national forestry competition in Weston, W. Va.

They placed third in the nation at that competition, losing to Florida and Texas. That was 20 years ago. None of them became foresters either.

Learning, Competing, Growing

That group of boys produced a medical doctor, a veterinarian, an electrical engineer and a businessman. All of them are still in or around Troup County.

I've had just about as many girls on the teams as boys over the years. It's a good learning experience for all of them. They all gain a better understanding of, and appreciation for, our forest resources and how they contribute to our economy and quality of life.

We've made it a tradition in Heard County to "initiate" the new team members. It's nothing more than eating a green persimmon, which is one of the trees they have to identify.

Ripe persimmons are pretty good. But if you've never tried a green persimmon, then by all means be prepared for your mouth to just about turn inside out.

Caleb and Phillip had already eaten a green persimmon and knew better. Dustin and Levi ate one. And Dustin squealed again.