Alabama Takes Top Prize at National 4-H Forestry Invitational

For the 16th time since the National 4-H Forestry Invitational began in 1980, an Alabama team took top honors at the contest. A team of Clay County 4-H’ers placed first among the 14 state teams at the national contest held recently in West Virginia.

Teams from Illinois and Pennsylvania placed second and third, respectively.
Alabama was represented by Will Denson, Adam Franklin, Robert Franklin, and Steve Franklin from Lineville. The team brought home individual honors as well as the top prize. Steve Franklin received the high-point individual award. Steve’s brothers Robert and Adam placed third and sixth respectively in the individual awards.

At the invitational, 4-H members compete for overall team and individual awards in several categories. Events included a forestry written exam, tree identification, tree measurement, compass and pacing, insect and disease identification, topographic map use, the forestry bowl and forest evaluation.

Marsha Moorehead, Clay County coordinator for the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, says this group has been working together since 2005.

“We are incredibly proud of these young men’s achievements,” she says. “They have worked so hard, and it’s just very exciting that their hard work reaped such big rewards.”

(left to right) Jenny Franklin, Dave Franklin, W.N. McCollum, Robert Franklin, Adam Franklin, Steve Franklin, Will Denson, Marie Gasser, Jim Gasser, and Andy Baril

Moorehead adds the team has been coached for the last four years by a team of volunteers. Jim and Marie Gasser, W.N. McCollum and Earl Smith have worked with the 4-H Forestry Judging program in Clay County for a number of years.

“Volunteer leaders have been the driving force behind this team,” she says. “Our team could not have won state or national without these dedicated coaches.”

While the volunteer leaders spearheaded training before the state contest, Andy Baril, a regional Extension forestry and wildlife sciences agent worked with the Clay County team between the state and national contests.

The invitational was held at West Virginia University Jackson’s Mill State 4-H Camp and Conference Center near Weston, West Virginia. The Farm Credit System and the Cooperative Extension Service sponsored the event.

Posted by lawremc at August 4, 2008 11:35 AM | TrackBack