2012 4-H Wildlife and Forestry Field Day

The 2012 4-H Wildlife and Forestry Field Day was a wild success!  The event featured both competitive and non-competitive tracks, and over 86 youth and adults participated in the event.  In the Wildlife Habitat Evaluation competitive track, teens from across Pennsylvania competed in their knowledge of wildlife and wildlife habitat.  The top five senior scorers were: Thomas Brady of Indiana County, Blair Digan of Union County, Joe Buzard of Venango County, Victoria Tomes of York County, and Will Hartman of Bedford County.  Four of these youth will have the chance to compete at the National Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Invitational in the “prairie brushland” near Kingsville, Texas, this July.

The non-competitive track (a.k.a. “The Explorers Track”), organized for youth ages 7-12, focused on wildlife predators in Pennsylvania.  The young participants learned about these unique species and their important ecological roles.  The contest and the tracks were organized by faculty members and Extension Specialists, Drs. Margaret Brittingham, Justin Bohling, and Sanford Smith, from the School of Forest Resources.  Bohling, was also the day’s featured speaker on wolves.  Fifteen grad and undergraduate students in Wildlife and Fisheries Program at Penn State also assisted with the event.  Next year’s event is tentatively planned for April 20, 2012.  Hold the date and plan to attend!

The top scorers in the Habitat Evaluation Contest were  Thomas Brady of Indiana County, Blair Digan of Union County, Joe Buzard of Venango County, Victoria Tomes of York County, and Will Hartman of Bedford County.  Four of these will have the chance to compete at the National Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Invitational in the “prairie brushland” near Kingsville, Texas, this July.  Drs. Justin Bohling  and Margaret Brittingham .

-          Submitted by Dr. Sanford Smith, Extension Specialist, Natural Resources and Youth Education (sss5@psu.edu)