4-H
Forestry Project
For Kids and
Teachers
Forestry
and Natural Resources are fascinating study for young
people. Forests have a natural attraction for youngsters and
the aim of this site is to provide ideas and resources to
aid 4-H agents, youth and teachers in exploring forests,
forestry and forest products. There is a wealth of forestry
information and resources available. So let's get
started!
One
easy way for youngsters to learn about forests, by doing
projects, is as part of a local 4-H club. 4-H Forestry is
active in Mississippi with project publications and
competitive events from the county level to state and
nationals. 4-H foresters learn about tree biology, forest
management systems, how to plant trees, the size and value
of our forests and lots more. There's a 4-H club near you.
Contact your local county 4-H agent
to join. Just want to explore 4-H in Mississippi?
Jump
to the 4-H home page and take a look for yourself.
The new "Forests of Fun" national 4-H forestry curriculum (released in 2005) is the first for Forestry since 1979. Foresters, educators, curriculum specialists, county Extension agents and volunteer leaders from around the country collaborated to create the new curriculum.
The "Forests of Fun" curriculum enables youth to gain a life-long appreciation of forests as sources of multiple benefits for society. These publications and the supporting website (http://4hccsprojects.com/forestry/) provide research-based information and activities to guide volunteer leaders and stimulate youngster's natural interest in forests.
The curriculum is available from your state 4-H office and from the 4-H Cooperative Curriculum System (4-HCCS) through its website at www.n4hccs.org.
Annually,
about 86,000 Mississippi youngsters are in 4-H activities,
many of them in Conservation and natural resources clubs.
Each year competitions are held in forestry. Here's how it
works:
* 4-H
county clubs are actively working on forestry projects and
learning about forests throughout the year. They are making
leaf collections, practicing tree measurement, learning
about tree biology and forest management practices,
collecting seeds, growing seedlings, collecting
publications, and lots more.
* In
the spring, counties hold their local 4-H forestry
competitions to see which teams of 4-H foresters will move
on to higher competition. Junior 4-Hers (8-13 years old)
advance to the district competitions and senior 4-Hers
(14-19 years old) advance to the state forestry competition.
They compete in tree identification, tree measurement,
forest insect and disease identification and forestry
knowledge.
* In
June, state and district forestry competitions are held and
winners determined. The senior state champion 4-H Forestry
team wins the Acorn Trophy and the right to represent
Mississippi at the National 4-H Forestry Invitational
held in August at Jackson's Mill State 4-H Conference Center
in West Virginia. This is an all-expenses-paid trip for the
champion team and their coaches.
*
After the competitions 4-Hers go back to project work and
the cycle starts again.
Frequently
Asked Questions
How can I get started in 4-H Forestry?
What projects can I do in Forestry?
What about careers in Forestry and Forest Products?
Publications
MSUcares
4-H Youth Publications
Other
4-H Forestry Information
The
following list will help you to explore forestry further:
For
Teachers and Kids
The Teacher's Conservation Workshop and Project Learning Tree
are projects sponsored by the Mississippi Forestry
Association in Mississippi. The Teacher's Conservation
Workshop is an educational opportunity for teachers to earn
college credit toward recertification during the summer
while learning about Mississippi's forests. Scholarships are
also available to help support your study.
Project Learning Tree is a curriculum that uses the forest
as a vehicle to help students learn how to solve problems
and think critically.
The
Wood Magic Science Fair
The Wood
Magic Science Fair
is an exciting program to teach 5th graders about the properties
of wood and uses of forest products in our lives. The Wood Magic Science Fair Trailer visits schools and events. Maybe your class could go to the fair. To inquire about scheduling the WMSF trailer for your area, contact Britton Hatcher at 662-226-6000.
The
Mississippi Forestry Association
The Mississippi Forestry Association
has a standing Youth Forestry Committee that promotes youth
learning about forests. The committee gives a Youth Forestry
Award each year and seeks to help educators teach sound
forestry to the next generation of Mississippians. MFA also
has nearly 64 affiliated local county forestry associations.
These CFAs are active in local communities and are eager to
help local teachers. Check the MFA web page to see if your
county has a CFA and start working together. There are also
some good forestry links on this site.
The National Arbor Day Foundation
has a section on "Teaching Youth About Trees" and lots of
information about tree planting and arbor day programs.
National 4-H Forestry Invitational Website
Study Aids
A set of PowerPoint presentations have been developed to help 4-Hers study for the Mississippi 4-H Forestry competition. The presentations may be viewed as PDF or may be downloaded to your computer as PowerPoint.
4-H Forestry Project Overview PDF || PowerPoint
4-H Forestry Diseases Study Guide PDF || PowerPoint
4-H Forestry Diseases Test PDF || PowerPoint (Blank score sheet || Answers)
4-H Forestry Insects Study Guide PDF || PowerPoint
4-H Forestry Insects Test PDF || PowerPoint (Blank score sheet || Answers)
Tree
Identification Links
Resources
on the World Wide Web that can help your 4-Hers learn to
identify trees by leaves, bark, flowers, fruit, and other
characteristics. Here are some tree identification sites
we've located:
- Identification of Common Trees of Iowa
is a web site that has a dichotomous key for identifying
trees. The key leads the user through a series of
questions about the tree's characteristics, eventually
ending at a color photo of the identified tree. This site
also has 72 species of trees available and informative
forest terms, and explanations of how trees grow.
- Trees of the Pacific Northwest
at Oregon State University gives a key to common conifers
in the Pacific Northwest
- Dendrology Homepage at Virginia Tech
has a wealth of tree identification information to help
students learning their trees. The site includes a key
for identifying trees, a tree of the week, fact sheets on
trees, and more. A Great Site.
Forest
Insects and Disease ID Links
These
are resources on the World Wide Web that are useful to help
4-Hers learn tree insects and diseases. These links are a
good starting point for your study of forest insects and
diseases.
- Insects on WWW
is a wonderful site for insects at Virginia Tech and is
designed for beginners. You can select the "Forest"
option and find hundreds of insect images. You can even
hear insect sounds! Another good site.
- Shade and Forest Insects.
This is the forest insect section of the Entomology at
Clemson University web site. For insect lovers this is a
neat site with good color photos. This site also has many
good "bug links".
- Forest Pest.
This site shows some of the most important forest insects
and diseases of Ohio.
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