Coosa County 4-H Forestry Judging Team

(Above: The Coosa County 4-H forestry judging team poses with coach, volunteers and sponsors. Front row, left to right: sponsor Wayne Thomas, International Paper; team members Holly Cordner, Amanda Luker, Emily Vines and Brittany Brown; and Dr. Richard Brinker, dean of the Auburn University School of Forestry. Back row, left to right: Jimmy Guin, Alabama Forest Owners Association; volunteers Blake Kelly and Joel Neighbors; and Coach Roger Vines, Coosa County Extension agent.)

Auburn, June 11, 2003 --- One of the nation’s powerhouses in 4-H forestry and wildlife judging competition has added another trophy to its crowded mantle.

Coosa County, which already boasts three 4-H forestry judging and two wildlife judging national championships, won its fourth state forestry judging title on June 10, barely squeaking past second-place winner Clay County. The team will represent Alabama at national forestry judging competition in Weston, W.Va., in late July.

Members of this year’s championship team are: Holly Cordner, a senior-level home-school student; Emily Vines, a senior at Central High School of Coosa County; Brittany Brown, also a Central High School senior; and Amanda Luker, a 2003 Central High School graduate who will enroll this fall at Troy State University.

Competing in statewide and national forestry judging requires months of rigorous study in topics such as tree identification and measurement and using a compass for navigation.

Team members are also required to identify forest pests both by their physical appearance and the type of damage they cause in trees.

Site evaluation is another important facet of forestry judging. Team members must demonstrate how well they can evaluate and manage a forest based on the needs of the forest landowner.

If this isn’t challenging enough, members must also master a wide array of forestry manuals to compete in a knowledge bowl that tests their skills in forestry and natural resources.

“Reaching the highest mark of success takes a lot of practice and a tremendous amount of dedication,” said Earl Smith, a 4-H forestry judging adult volunteer who has been involved with the program for 6 years.

“This event teaches them forestry within a hands-on context. They also learn a tremendous amount about national resources to compete.”

Coosa County Extension Agent Roger Vines, who has coached championship forestry and wildlife judging teams for almost a generation, has personally witnessed the determination that grips these young people when they begin competing at the junior level.

“Most of these kids don’t do this in one year,” Vines said. “They show a lot of determination starting off as juniors and get better each time they compete.”

“Of course, the goal at the end is always winning the state championship and going on to compete in national,” he added.

Preparation for senior-level forestry competition has been compared to completing a freshman-year forestry course in college–not surprising that forestry judging participation has inspired several young people to pursue forestry-related careers.

“Every other year or so, we get a student in our program who has participated in 4-H forestry judging usually at the first-, second- or third-place level,” said Dr. Richard Brinker, dean of Auburn University’s School of Forestry. “But most of the kids go into every sort of endeavor you can imagine. And even though they may not end up pursuing forestry as a career, they learn a great deal about how to work with other people as a team and also how they contribute individually to the team.”

In addition to building an appreciation for the value of teamwork, Brinker also believes the competition instills young people with an understanding of natural resources and the environment that will help them become better citizens.

“It think it’s important that anyone who becomes a voter understands the importance of natural resources, its impact on our environment, and what we can do to clean up our environment to contribute to a better quality of life,” he observed. “And no matter what career they end up pursuing, this gives them an understanding of the importance of natural resources that will serve them well as citizens.”

“Someone who grows up and ends up living in downtown Atlanta may think they’ll never have to understand why forestry resources and a clean environment are important, but this really helps them appreciate why – and from a very early age.”

This year’s state champions have big shoes to fill. Last year’s winners, the Tuscaloosa forestry judging team, also won the national championship–the seventh such championship for a Tuscaloosa team.

No other state in the nation has been able to touch Alabama, which has amassed 12 national championships in the 20-year history of forestry judging competition.

(Source: Roger Vines, Coosa County Extension Agent, 256-377-4713.)

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