Georgia 4-H Forestry Field Day Manual

Lonnie E. Varnedoe, Public Service Assistant, The University of Georgia
Kim D. Coder, Professor of Forestry, The University of Georgia
David J. Moorhead, Professor of Forestry, The University of Georgia

The University of Georgia, Extension Forest Resources, Bulletin FOR96-029, 1996, 52 pp.

General Information

The Georgia 4-H Forestry Field Day contests and the National 4-H Forestry Invitational are competitive events of forestry knowledge and skills. The national meeting is currently held annually around the end of July at Jackson's Mill State 4-H Camp in Weston, West Virginia.

There are district/regional and state competitions in Georgia with the state winners usually going to the National contest. The purpose of the Georgia 4-H Forestry Field Day contests and the National 4-H Forestry Invitational is to provide opportunities for 4-H Forestry members to:

1. Develop leadership talents and to work toward achieving character development and effective citizenship.
2. Develop appreciation of the need and importance of conserving woodland as a source of products and services necessary for quality living.
3. Acquire information and understanding of practical forestry skills in forest management and utilization of forest products.

Although competitive in nature, the Georgia 4-H Forestry Field Days and the National 4-H Forestry Invitational are managed as an extensive forestry educational experience. They provide an opportunity for exploration of the broad aspects of forestry. The events encourage and promote better forestry knowledge for 4-H members, volunteer leaders, and Extension Agents at local, county, district, State, and National levels. The setting, contests, leadership, and any supplementary events are all directed to this end.

There are many general and specific values and perceptions developed through these events. Preparation of youths into teams for this 4-H Forestry Field Day helps to accomplish the following:

1. Presents, identifies, and locates the renewable resources of the forest environment such as forest products, water, outdoor recreation, wildlife, and selected grazing;
2. Establishes a natural resource value system for participating 4-H members;
3. Helps 4-H landowners understand the techniques of managing their land and improving the understanding of 4-H'ers as potential landowners; and,
4. Furnishes facts and scientific procedures for future adults. 4-H'ers will learn to weigh and understand renewable resource management needs.

Furthermore, the competitive team approach, which is used in the Georgia 4-H Forestry Field Days and the National 4-H Forestry events develop, at all levels, the following benefits:

1. Intensified learning opportunities using correct management information and factors concerning forest resources.
2. Standardizes, or presents, similar references, materials, guides, and understanding of tree identification, forest measurements, and use of silvicultural problems of management, insects, diseases, etc.
3. Encourages rural, suburban and urban teams to share ideas and visit potential management areas with a new perspective of 4-H forestry.
4. Provides new insight to senior members who serve as team leaders with younger 4-H members in beginning forestry projects.
5. Allows team members to formulate goals and discuss management procedures with other 4-H'ers and with professional land managers.
6. Provides a new dimension for older 4-H member activities and incentives for younger members beyond the present project-oriented program.

[  Contents  ]   [  Previous  ]   [  Next  ]   [  Home  ]