Success Story4-H Forestry Field Day



4-H Forestry Field Day

Author: Tracie Goodman

Planning Unit: McCreary County CES

Major Program: Natural Resources

Plan of Work: Youth Development

Outcome: Long-Term Outcome

In October we hosted a 4-H Forestry Field Day in partnership with the Ky Division of Forestry and our state 4-H Natural Resource Specialist, Ashley Osbourne. Seven of our 4-H youth spent the day practicing tree identification, tree measurement using a Biltmore stick, compass and pacing, leaf collection and mounting, and hands-on field experience with KDF by preparing trees for treatment of hemlock woolly adelgid along our campus trail. Youth were given the opportunity to do all jobs associated with preparing trees for treatment, which included water collection, record keeping, measuring, raking back top soil to expose roots, and marking treated trees while the KDF forestry crew applied the chemical to the trees. All youth had the opportunity to learn new forestry skills and put them to use in the field. Several youth excelled at compass and pacing and tree identification, and all youth took home information about the hemlock woolly adelgid to their families. By the end of the day they understood what invasive species are, and were able to explain the entire treatment process involved with saving hemlock trees from an infestation. They gained some of the knowledge and skills needed to work on a forestry field crew, and some even expressed interest in pursuing a forestry career. The trees that were treated along the trail will be here throughout their lifetime, and will be used to conduct future 4-H forestry programs. 






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