Published on 09/22/20

Georgia 4-H youth awarded highest state honor in forestry knowledge

By Austin Clark

Twenty-six Georgia 4-H’ers participated in the State Forestry Field Day for program year 2021 on Sept. 19 at Rock Eagle 4-H Center in Eatonton, Georgia. Throughout the afternoon event, participants adhered to COVID-19 prevention measures as guided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Georgia 4-H forestry program teaches youth to identify up to 70 Georgia tree species, as well as common pests and diseases that impact those trees. The forestry field day competition allows youth to test their science-based knowledge, critical thinking skills and skills with specialized forestry tools. Participants can be a part of a county team or compete individually in the state forestry judging contest.

“The pandemic certainly caused volunteer coaches and county personnel to be creative with virtual practices until youth could meet in person,” said Craven Hudson, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension 4-H specialist. “We were able to hold all area contests in person, and these youth have worked hard to prepare for today.”

The state contest consists of five stations: insect and disease identification, volume estimation, compass and pacing, tree identification, and site evaluation. All county teams prepared for the state contest by competing in one of four area forestry field days held earlier in September. Site evaluation is added at the state level and requires youth to consider landowner objectives and make forest management recommendations.

Each county may bring up to 20 senior contestants from ninth through 12th grades. The youth compete individually and as team members. The first-place senior team winners will represent Georgia at the National 4-H Forestry Invitational in August 2021 at the Jackson’s Mill State 4-H Conference Center in Weston, West Virginia.

This year’s winners at the State Forestry Field Day are:

First place team: Bartow County — Sasha Morgan, Gus Federico, Bethany Craven and Gabriel Craven

Second place team: Oconee County — Kalani Washington, Alicia Carnes, Robie Lucas and Lexi Pritchard

Third place team: Burke County — Holt Sapp, Emmaline Cunningham, Samuel Eckerman and Tony Gray

Senior high individual: Gus Federico, Bartow County

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 UGA Extension office.

Austin Clark is a Georgia 4-H public relations associate.

Authors:

Austin Clark

Experts/Sources:

Craven F Hudson

Georgia 4-H'ers participate in the State Forestry Field Day at Rock Eagle 4-H Center in Eatonton, Georgia.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.

Download Image

Georgia Simmons at the office of U.S. Sen. Warnock

CAES News

Georgia 4-H alum, CAES student spends semester serving at the nation's Capitol 12/03/24 Josie Smith, Cooper Hardy

Third-year University of Georgia student and Banks County 4-H alum Georgia Simmons has been in the center of the political action this fall with the Georgia 4-H Washington DC Intern Program. Simmons, an environmental resource science major in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, works in the office of U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock. As an intern on his staff, she interacts directly with policy experts and lawmakers, participating in the legislative process while earning a semester of credit hours.

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.

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.