Each year, 4-H youth from across the state convene at the Austin Cary Memorial Forest outside Gainesville, Florida to test their knowledge of Florida's forests.  The 2009 Forest Ecology Contest will be held on Saturday, April 18, 2009 at Austin Cary Memorial Forest in Gainesville.    Teams interested in competing must print and complete the team registration information found on the 4-H web site and fax it to the State 4H Events office at 352-846-0999 by March 6, 2009. 

Contest Elements:
This contest tests identification skills, compass skills, and ecological information. Youth will be asked to identify from samples trees and plant leaves and fruits and a few multiple choice questions about identification or natural history features, insect and disease damage, and wildlife.Youth will also walk along a trail and identify specimens in the woods.  A multiple-choice portion of the contest will cover two ecosystems: Tropical Hammock and Freshwater Swamp.  Youth will have a list of species from which they will copy the appropriate number--they will not have to spell common names or know Latin names.  There will also be a section on map and compass skills. There will be from 15 to 25 questions on each of six sections; the Intermediate contest will be shorter than the Senior contest. 

In keeping with the ecosystems focus, the tree and plant species for which Seniors are responsible for on the I.D. section of contest will also emphasize species that are typical of Tropical Hammock and Swamp ecosystems. The highlighted ecosystem descriptions contain lists of trees and other plants that are not on the tree and plants I.D. contest lists, but youth should know which ecosystem the plants are associated with. 

Contest Participants:
Youth will compete in teams of up to 4 individuals at both the Intermediate and Senior levels.  Intermediates are youth between the ages of 11 and 13 years by September 1, of the current 4H program year.  Seniors are between the ages of 14-18 as of September 1, the current 4H program year.  Each county can register up to 16 youth in 2 Intermediate and 2 Senior teams. Individual youth may compete if there are not enough to form a team.  Teams of a minimum of 3 youth may be registered, as the three highest scores from a 4-person team are used in competition.  Senior participants must not have been a previous first place team winner.

In addition to team and individual winners in the Intermediate and Senior contests, the team scoring the highest among first year county contestants will also take home a trophy.  Ties for recognition will be broken by weighting sections of the contest in this order: tree ID, plant ID, ecosystem quiz, insect/disease, field map/compass.  A $500 scholarship from the University of Florida's School of Forest Resources and Conservation will be offered to the Senior High Scoring Individual of the 4-H Forest Ecology Contest if they choose to enroll at the University of Florida and declare a major in the School of Forest Resources and Conservation.  The scholarship will be renewed for up to 3 additional years if a grade point average of 3.0 is maintained.

Contest Details:
We will offer work stations where youth can ask questions about forest plant identification and learn more about the contest.  Counties are encouraged to bring non-competing youth to learn more about both contests.  Please register these youth by printing and completing the non-competing form.  Youth who are competing in one contest do NOT need to register to observe the other. 

An Awards Ceremony will be held when all scoring is concluded.  We anticipate this will be between 1:30 and 3:00 p.m.  Guided hikes and outdoor activities will be offered between the conclusion of the competition and the awards ceremony.

Training Information:
This website provides all the information 4-H'ers need in order to successfully compete in the 4-H Forest Ecology Contest.  Information is presented on forest ecosystems, trees, plants, wildlife, forest healt, and map & compass.  Although it helps to go outside and identify real trees and forest plants, you aren't limited to the plants growing in your part of the state.  This site includes over 120 descriptions of trees and plants with detailed photos--in all parts of Florida.

The Contest will require 4-H'ers to be able to identify selected forest trees and plants from Official  tree and plant lists.  Each year, the lists will include:

• The eighteen dominant trees presented in the 4-H Forest Resource Project Books;
• Selected trees from the Official List of the National 4-H Forestry Invitational; and
• Trees and plants commonly found in a natural outdoor setting, from branches or other significant parts, or from photographs depicting key features of a tree or plant.  There will also be multiple-choice questions on how certain trees and plants can be identified. 

All identification of trees and plants will be as the samples are found in a natural outdoor setting, from branches or other significant parts, or from photographs depicting key features of a tree or plant.  There will also be multiple choice questions on the natural history of the trees in the Senior tree list. 

Example question: How can sweetgum be distinguished from red maple?

Example question: Jelly can be made from the fruits of which tree?

A. Baldcypress                              C. Cabbage palm
B. Pidgeon plum                             D. Gumbo-limbo

This website contains the Official Contest Lists, map and contest information, and descriptions of the Tropical Hammock and Swamp ecosystems. Click on links within the text or on the buttons to see this information.  Participants will be asked to identify wildlife and forest insects and diseases that will be selected from the current year's Official Wildlife List and Insect and Disease List .  The 4-H Forest Resources Project Books are available as an additional resource to assist 4-H'ers in preparing for the upcoming event.

For more information, please contact Larry Korhnak at mailto:lvk@ufl.edu For more information about 4-H, contact your County Extension Office or the state 4-H program .