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.
Contest Events:
1. Tree Identification:
Participants will identify 10 to 25 tree, branch, twig, or leaf specimens. Specimens could include full trees, freshly cut foliage, older foliage, herbarium sheets with pressed foliage, or photographs of foliage. Normally fruit and seeds will not be provided. The complete common name as listed on the contest's official list should be given (for example, "maple" will be incorrect if the tree is red maple). Only one-half credit will be given for misspelled, but identifiable, names. Trees will be selected only from the current year's official species list given below.
Preparation:
Number 10 to 25 trees or leaf/branch specimens. These should be from the official species list. Trees or specimens should be considered typical. Juvenile plants and shade leaves should be avoided since they are often larger than normal and have a distorted shape. Each contestant should be given a sheet with numbered blanks for each tree's common name. The complete common name should be reproduced as given on the official species list. No credit is given for partially correct names. Clearly correct but misspelled names get half credit. The person receiving the highest score will be the individual winner. The team with the highest total for the best three participants will be the team winner.
Contest Rules:
Different species of trees have various requirements for good growth. They also differ in merchantability. Therefore, you must be able to identify trees of the forest. All trees to be identified will be taken from the "Official Species List" below.
Contestants will be required to identify species from those listed below. Contestants will be judged on the accuracy of identification and the spelling of common names. Scientific names will not be required. Incomplete names will be counted as wrong. Example: Maple instead of Red Maple, or Shortleaf instead of Shortleaf Pine will be counted wrong.
Contestants will be given a specific time to identify the tree specimens and record the information on the score sheet. An official species list will be available for each contest.
Points will be given for the correct common name. One-half of the points will be deducted for each name misspelled. The common name must be the one used on the official species list. All final scores from this event may be weighted to match final scores from other events.
Samples can be photographs, fresh, or pressed herbarium specimens of leaf samples. Samples of leaf \ branch cuttings will be used if available and of acceptable quality to the judges. Fruits, nuts, seeds, and flowers will not normally be provided on the contest but may be available.
The following tree species list is to be used for the 4-H Forestry Field Day Junior Contests. It is arranged alphabetically by scientific names in order to group siminlar trees together. The Junior list includes 44 tree species. References are listed in the back of this manual.
