Tree name tags

beenthere · November 17, 2013, 01:51:42 AM

Rewarding working with HS students, and sounds like they get some trips for the competition. Lays a good groundwork for their future.

SwampDonkey · November 17, 2013, 04:21:19 AM

I worked with a fella from Manitoba when I was west and he told me the high schools there teach forestry courses. They don't here in NB and probably not in most other provinces. Used to be some Ag in high school. However, if you were in 'college prep' you took sciences and math and no Ag.

Caveman your doing a good deed. ;)

WDH · November 17, 2013, 07:31:35 AM

My daughter won the State FFA Tree ID contest all four years that she was in High School. Imagine that :D.

The FFA Forestry Field Days are great events and the students learn a lot about Forestry. This inspires many to pursue a career in Forestry like Dodgy Loner and my daughter. I supported the Field Days for many years by conducting and judging the tree ID contest.

caveman · November 17, 2013, 08:51:54 PM

WDH, my oldest daughter, who is now a freshman in college, was second high individual in the state during her tenth grade year. Another on our team beat her out by two points. Morgan, my daughter, missed swamp tupelo on the dendrology part of the contest or she would have had the high score. She still gets mad when I show her a swamp tupelo. When they got to the national contest, she tied a kid from Ohio for second highest individual score in the nation.

It looks like the schools from Georgia slightly to your east are really competitive. I think I remember meeting an advisor named Barry Norris a few years ago at one of the national contests. The Georgia teams consistently do well at the national forestry contest. I coach some other contests but forestry and ag mechanics are my favorites. Again, I will definitely need some help getting these students ready.
Caveman

sandhills · November 21, 2013, 12:29:58 PM

caveman, I recall you having another team at Nationals a few years back, keep up the good work! Was that the one your daughter was on? My hat's off to you.

caveman · November 21, 2013, 06:07:11 PM

Sandhills, we did have a team that was fortunate enough to win the state contest and get an opportunity to compete in the national contest a few years ago. My oldest daughter was on that team. She finished up her FFA experience at this year's national convention by serving as the chairman on the parliamentary procedure team. They placed 3rd in the nation and had the highest written test and team test scores.
My middle daughter, who is a freshman, was an alternate on this year's forestry team that competed in the state contest. There were still several students practicing even though only four students per team could compete. The previous two years, we did not make it out of our district.

I started looking over the contest specimen list for the national contest last night and discovered that several things have changed in the last few years. It looks like I will have to learn how to identify several "new to me" trees. I may be asking some FF members to send me some real samples after my students learn the dendro fact sheets.

Due to the tireless work of my co-worker and some talented students, Kathleen High School FFA has had a very successful year or two.
Caveman

sandhills · November 21, 2013, 08:38:08 PM

I'd be happy to send you any samples I may be able to come up with, just let us know the list. BTW if you ever run into a Mr. Young from ND at any national competition tell him his brother Pat says hi ;D.

WDH · November 21, 2013, 08:45:48 PM

I went to Nationals once when my daughter competed. It was quite the show.

caveman · November 22, 2013, 07:21:09 PM

I will look for him Pat.
WDH, when did you and your daughter go to nationals? Was it held in Louisville or Indianapolis? I am just trying to figure out if our paths may have crossed at one time or another. Usually, when I am at nationals, regardless if I am taking a team or not, I try to go with the forestry team coaches on Thursday. I have been able to tour some really interesting places on the Thursday tour (they did not have it this year). I have been to a kiln, hardwood saw mill, veneer mill, Wood-mizer in Indy and a host of other places on the tours.
Caveman

WDH · November 22, 2013, 11:42:33 PM

I believe that it was the Fall of 2002, and it was in Louisville. My daughter won Nationals in Forestry Proficiency. Were you there?

caveman · November 23, 2013, 08:00:33 AM

Winning a national proficiency is quite an accomplishment. Please accept a belated congratulations to you and your daughter. I was at that convention that year and attended the forestry contest even though we did not have a team competing until the following fall. If memory serves, it was really cold and windy that week. The forestry contest was held at Bernheim (sp) Forest.

We had a national proficiency finalist for the first time this year but his proficiency was in specialty animal production (tropical fish farm). He did not win but was awarded an agricultural tour to Costa Rica and $500. Hopefully he will require a chaperone.
Caveman