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Talladega
County Wins State 4-H Forestry Competition
Auburn, July 12---A
team of Talladega County 4-H'ers won the State 4-H Forestry Judging
Contest held recently at the 4-H Youth Development Center in
Columbiana. Composed of young men from Sylacauga High School, the
team will defend Alabama's national title at the national
competition.
In addition to winning
the overall state team title, two members of the Talladega County
team won individual honors. Jimmy Williams was the overall
individual winner, and Patrick Williams placed third overall.
Forestry judging is a
rigorous event that demands lengthy training by teams to be
successful. Team members must be able to identify a wide variety of
trees, insects and diseases, as well as take accurate tree
measurements and navigate through the woods using a compass. They
also take a quiz covering a variety of forestry facts and issues.
"We believe the
event fosters an appreciation of the state's natural resources as
well as allows young people to learn some practical forestry
skills," says Emily Kling, a 4-H program specialist in natural
resources with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. "Young
people have decided to pursue forestry as a career because of their
participation in the 4-H Forestry Judging Competition."
The Talladega team will
leave July 28 for the event that will be held at Jackson's Mill
State 4-H Conference Center in Weston, W. Va.
"Alabama is viewed
as the state to beat in the national forestry competition,"
says Talladega County Extension agent Ron Williams. "An Alabama
team won the competition last year, so our guys will be defending
that title."
Williams and Talladega
County forester Arthur Hitt coach the team.
Talladega County won the
state and national titles in 1997.
Alabama teams have won
the national competition 10 times since 1984 and finished in the top
five 16 times.
The Alabama Forestry
Commission and a number of other forestry and natural resource
companies and agencies sponsored the state event.
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CUTLINE
Talladega County team
wins the State Forestry Judging Contest. Pictured,
kneeling left to right: Drake Roberts, alternate;
Jimmy Williams; and Patrick Williams.
Standing, left to
right are: Dr. Richard W. Brinker, Dean of the
Auburn University School of Forestry and Wildlife
Sciences; Ron Williams, Talladega County Extension
agent and team coach; Ben Davis; Robby Lukasik;
Julian Gladness, alternates; Mickell Gladness;
Arthur Hitt, Talladega County forester and team
coach; and Henry Barclay, president of the Alabama
Forest Owners Association. |
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