From Sunday, July 29 to Thursday, August 2, the National 4-H Forestry Invitational Committee hosted their annual National 4-H Forestry Invitational Event at the Jackson’s Mill State 4-H Conference Center in Weston, W. Va.
Florida 4-H was represented by your state champion forest ecology team, Alachua County 4-H. Team members included Jonathan Vonesh, Taylor Dykes, Anna Hooks and Will Eubanks, along with their coach Emily Eubanks.
As a team, they placed third in the nation, and were named as the national champions in the quiz bowl division of the contest. Vonesh also placed third overall as an individual, with 15 teams and 60 individuals competing.
Congratulations to this outstanding team on all of their accomplishments from the club and county levels to the state and national levels, and to Florida on yet another outstanding show at this event.
At the state contest back in the spring, the team from Pinellas County 4-H was your winner in the junior division, with team members Emmerson Reed, Maleah Godfrey and Ava McCoy, and the team from Leon County 4-H was your winner in the intermediate division, with team members Sophia Laver, Danie Enfinger, Fiona Lowery and Miles Gillespie.
The “forest ecology” contest, as it is known as in Florida, or simply, “forestry” contest as it is known nationally, tests youth skills in tree identification and measurement, forest evaluation, orienteering, map use insect and disease identification and performance in a forestry quiz bowl and written exam both individually and as a team. For more information and complete results, visit 4hforestryinvitational.org.
(Photo from Micanopy Friendship 4-H Club, Alachua County on Facebook)
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