CAES Newswire

 College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences UGA Cooperative Extension
Menu
Published on 11/01/19

Georgia 4-H youth test wildlife knowledge at state competition

By Cristina Luisa deRevere

Sixty 4-H youth participated in the 2019 Georgia 4-H Wildlife Judging Contest hosted by Georgia 4-H and the Farm Credit Associations of Georgia on Oct. 26 at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia and the University of Georgia Whitehall Forest in Athens, Georgia.

The Georgia 4-H Wildlife Judging Contest follows guidelines established in the National 4-H Wildlife Habitat Education Program (WHEP) manual, which identifies 14 ecoregions and a set of species for each ecoregion. It also identifies two special area considerations within each ecoregion: urban and wetlands.

Based on the National 4-H WHEP Contest, the Georgia 4-H Wildlife Judging Contest covers 19 species in the Southeast Mixed and Outer Coastal Plain Forest ecoregions. The contest offers youth the chance to build critical thinking skills, strengthen science-based education and develop life skills through wildlife management.

The state contest consists of wildlife identification, general wildlife knowledge, site evaluation, management plans and an oral defense. Each county may bring up to 20 senior contestants from ninth through 12th grades and 20 junior contests from fifth through eighth grades. The youth compete individually for high individual and as a team through the combination of the top county individuals.

The first place senior team will represent Georgia at the National WHEP Contest in summer 2020, as well as receive Georgia Master 4-H’er status and be honored at Georgia State 4-H Congress in July in Atlanta, Ga.

This year’s winners of the Georgia contest are:

Senior Teams

First place team: Daphne Crawford, Samantha David, August Pearson and Davis Slate – Clarke County

Second place team: Clayton Adams, Alyssa Goldman, Tyler Guest and Danielle Wooten – Madison County

Third place team: Haylee Collins, Jacob Hayes and Elyce Wages – Spalding County

Senior High Individual: Salih El-Gayyar – Fayette County

Junior Teams

First place team: Georgia Kane, Braydon Waldroup and Brooklyn Waldroup – Madison County

Second place team: Benjamin Agnew, Rebekah Crosby, Justin Denton and Chance Hutchens – Bleckley County

Third place team: Alissa Chilton, Justin Cummings, Natty Fallin and Finn Keough – Forsyth County

Certified wildlife judging coaches, UGA Cooperative Extension agents and staff, UGA Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources wildlife specialists, UGA Collegiate 4-H’ers and other volunteers contribute to the success of the competition.

Georgia 4-H empowers youth to become true leaders by developing necessary life skills, positive relationships and community awareness. As the largest youth leadership organization in the state, 4-H reaches more than 175,000 people annually through UGA Extension offices and 4-H facilities. For more information, visit georgia4h.org or contact your local Extension office at 1-800-ASK-UGA1.

Cristina deRevere is the public relations coordinator for Georgia 4-H.

Authors:
Cristina Luisa deRevere
Experts/Sources:
Charlie Wurst
The Clarke County Wildlife Judging Senior Team won first place during the Oct. 26 competition. Team members include Michael Campbell, Daphne Crawford, Samantha David, Luke Krohn, August Pearson and Davis Slate.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Download Image
Seth McAllister and farmer Mark Daniel discuss crop production and agritourism. CAES News
UGA Extension supports agritourism through expert advice and collaboration 10/24/24 Emily Cabrera
On a sunny day with bright-blue skies, I arrive at Mark’s Melon Patch in Sasser, Georgia, and immediately spot the familiar white University of Georgia Cooperative Extension pickup truck, the Terrell County Extension logo prominently displayed on the door. Seth McAllister, the Agriculture and Natural Resources agent for Terrell County, greets me with a broad grin and a firm handshake. Terrell County alone has 60,000 acres of row crops, half in cotton. But what McAllister loves most about his role as an Extension agent is the diversity of his work.
Ropes course at Georgia 4-H camp CAES News
Campers create lasting memories of summer at Georgia's 4-H centers 10/07/24 Josie Smith
By the end of his first week at 4-H summer camp, fifth grader Cooper Hardy already had many memories of new and exciting experiences. “That was the first time I got in a canoe,” Hardy said. “It was a big deal for me.” Now, 10 years later, Hardy serves as a Georgia 4-H camp counselor at Rock Eagle 4-H Center in Eatonton, Georgia. It’s a dream he’s held since the first time he set foot on the sprawling, wooded 1,500-acre campus as a camper.
Caroline Hinton is the director of experiential learning for the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. (Photo by Peter Frey/UGA) CAES News
Director of experiential learning herds students toward new fields of education 10/02/24 Averi Caldwell
Caroline Hinton wants to foster a love of learning for all students who walk through her door. As the director of experiential learning for the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Hinton helps students connect with their fields of study outside of the classroom. “I find joy and excitement in getting to watch students experience different parts of agriculture and find a place in our state’s own agriculture industry,” she said.
The University of Georgia Center for Continuing Education & Hotel saw some damage from the winds and rain of Hurricane Helene. (Photo by Andrew Davis Tucker/UGA) CAES News
UGA weathers Hurricane Helene 09/27/24
The University of Georgia’s main campus was fortunate to emerge relatively unscathed after Hurricane Helene barreled through the state early Friday morning. However, the impact was more significant at our extended campus locations. While the UGA Griffin campus reported no major damage, UGA-Tifton was hit much harder, with dozens of downed trees and power outages, as well as flooding in several buildings. Damage to farm operations across south Georgia appears to be extensive.
Honorees at the 2024 State 4-H Congress included 4-H Green Jacket Award winner Jay Morgan, Master 4-H’er Vidhi Patel, Warnell Associate Dean for Outreach Nick Fuhrman for Warnell accepting the Friend of 4-H Award on behalf of the college, Georgia 4-H State President Kingston Ryals, William H. Booth Award winner Patrick Willis, and Ryles Rising Star Award Laura Mirarchi. CAES News
Outstanding youth, supportive adults celebrated at Georgia 4-H State Congress 08/14/24 Josie Smith
Accomplished 4-H youth and the adults who empower them gathered at the 81st Georgia 4-H State Congress in Atlanta July 23-26. The weeklong event for top 4-H’ers features state-level Project Achievement and Leadership in Action competitions and recognizes youth development professionals and community supporters contributing to the success of 4-H in Georgia. More than 200 youth delegates competed in 50 Project Achievement areas and eight youth delegates competed in the Leadership in Action contest during annual event.
LiceCheck CAES News
A back-to-school guide to the nitty-gritty on head lice 08/12/24 Allison Johnson
As students return to school, head lice often become a common concern for administrators and parents. Understanding how to prevent and manage head lice infestations is crucial for maintaining healthy environments in schools and at home. Allison Johnson, the Pesticide Safety Education Program coordinator for the University of Georgia, provides essential information and advice to help mitigate the spread of this pesky pest.