{"id":2882,"date":"2026-09-30T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-30T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/forsyth\/?p=2882"},"modified":"2026-09-25T13:25:34","modified_gmt":"2026-09-25T17:25:34","slug":"forestry-team-takes-1st-at-area-contest-advances-to-state","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/forsyth\/forestry-team-takes-1st-at-area-contest-advances-to-state\/","title":{"rendered":"Forestry Team Takes 1st at Area Contest, Advances to State"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Georgia\u2019s forests are not just a vital part of the state\u2019s economy. They also provide a hands-on classroom for local youth. With approximately 24.1 million acres of forestland, Georgia\u2019s forests support a thriving industry that generated an estimated $59.4 billion in total economic activity and supported more than 177,000 jobs in 2024. Through programs like Georgia 4-H\u2019s annual Forestry Field Day, students in grades 4 through 12 develop practical skills and a deeper understanding of Georgia\u2019s forest resources. Participants learn to identify trees, insects and diseases, pacing skills, compassing, how to estimate timber volume, and most importantly they explore forest management practices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Forsyth County 4-H\u2019s at the Area Contest at Camp Westminster. Front row: Harper Haines, Muhammad Salaar Sinan, Wesley Carver, Elise Cureton. Back Row: Tallulah Bates, Vander Gilbert, Bradley Carver, Joseph Portelli, and Felicity Mahoney.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Every July, 4-H participants dive into intensive study sessions starting to prepare for the competition. The contest is divided into Junior and Senior divisions, with younger students learning to identify 44 tree species, 17 timber pest insects, and 14 common diseases. Junior students also develop skills like pacing to estimate distance and calculating sawtimber volume. Senior participants are challenged to identify and correctly spell the names of 70 trees, 30 insects, and 23 tree diseases, as well as mastering techniques in compassing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The contest helps students connect with the real-world challenges of forestry. Knowing how to identify trees, insects, and diseases is crucial, as it directly impacts the timber industry and the health of Georgia\u2019s forests. For instance, insect infestations and diseases can cause serious economic losses, while the value and use of trees vary greatly between species.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year, eleven Forsyth County 4-H\u2019ers proudly represented their community at the District Forestry Judging Competition on September 9 at Camp Westminster in Conyers, Georgia. The Junior Team, made up of Wesley Carver, Vander Gilbert, Harper Haines, Muhammad Salaar Sinan, and Pheobe Mahoney.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Senior Division team was represented by Tallulah Bates, Bradley Carver, Clara Cureton, Elise Cureton, Felicity Mahoney, and Joseph Portelli.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Junior Team, consisting of Wesley Carver, Vander Gilbert, Harper Haines and Muhammad Salaar Sinan, placed 5th overall at the Area Contest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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ANR Educator Shannon Henderson helps 4-H\u2019er Clara Cureton calibrate her posture so she can accurately measure tree volume.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In the individual competition, Elise Cureton placed 2nd overall, followed by Tallulah Bates in 6th place. The Senior Team, made up of Elise Cureton, Clara Cureton, Joseph Portelli and Tallulah Bates, earned 1st place overall and advanced to the State Contest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The team Senior Team competed at the State Contest on September 24 at the Georgia Forestry Commission\u2019s office in Dry Branch. At the State Contest, the team did not finish among the top three, but they gained valuable experience competing alongside some of Georgia\u2019s top 4-H forestry teams. More importantly, they enjoyed the opportunity to put their skills to the test, learn from the experience and make memories together. After a successful season and a first-place finish at the Area Contest, the team is already looking forward to coming back next year, building on what they learned and giving it another shot at State.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The team\u2019s success was guided by Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator Shannon Henderson, with coaching support from Master Naturalist Extension Volunteers Winston Davis, Michele Murphy, Cindy Unangst and administrative guidance from 4-H Agent Heather Haines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Missed the Forestry Judging season? No problem! The Forsyth County 4-H hosts a monthly Junior Naturalists Club where youth can explore local ecosystems and learn about environmental stewardship. Meeting once a month, the club is open to current 4th through 12th graders and provides hands-on opportunities to discover the natural world in our own backyards!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To learn more about 4-H programs in Forsyth County or how to get involved, visit our website or contact the Forsyth County Extension \/ 4-H Office at 770-887-2418. Georgia 4-H is proudly supported by The University of Georgia, Forsyth County Board of Commissioners, Forsyth County Board of Education, and community donors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Senior Forestry Judging Team gathers before the start of the state contest. Master Naturalist Extension Volunteer Cindy Unangst, Felicity Mahoney, Tallulah Bates, Elise Cureton, Clara Cureton, Bradley Carver, and Joseph Portelli.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Georgia\u2019s forests are not just a vital part of the state\u2019s economy. They also provide a hands-on classroom for local youth. With approximately 24.1 million acres of forestland, Georgia\u2019s forests support a thriving industry that generated an estimated $59.4 billion in total economic activity and supported more than 177,000 jobs in 2024. Through programs like […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":591,"featured_media":2888,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[254,405,364,415],"class_list":["post-2882","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-4-h","tag-4-h","tag-4-h-forestry-judging","tag-4-h-judging-teams","tag-georgia-4-h"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/forsyth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2882","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/forsyth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/forsyth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/forsyth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/591"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/forsyth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2882"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/forsyth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2882\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2889,"href":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/forsyth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2882\/revisions\/2889"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/forsyth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2888"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/forsyth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2882"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/forsyth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2882"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/forsyth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2882"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}