Initiated in March of 1957, Woodland Clinics provide young people with a working knowledge of forestry. Each year, youth from 4-H Clubs and FFA compete throughout East Texas at clinics held locally by Soil and Water Conservation Districts. Winners from the local clinics go on to compete at the State Woodland Clinic sponsored by Texas Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the Texas Forestry Association.
Students gain experience with a variety of skills such as pine identification, hardwood identification, forage-wildlife relationships, tree measurements and volume determination, compass and pacing, site management concerns, and site productivity.
TFA's Educational Fund provides cash scholarships to the high-scoring junior or senior participant at each of three district competitions. TFA's Texas Forest Landowners' Council provides a cash scholarship to the high-scoring participant at the state level.
For more information, contact your local 4-H or FFA. See 2018 Calendar below.
2020 Woodland Clinic
Angelina Woodland Clinic Video Contest 2020
Videos due by: May 29th, 2020
Videos can be uploaded at this link: https://www.dropbox.com/request/1spAuQs8Xj4zhCJq4G5r
Details of competition from Ricky Gay:
As you are aware, many, if not all our activities we normally enjoy each Spring were greatly altered this year. Of course, this includes our Woodland Clinic contest at every level. The Committee has come up with a way to not replace, but to give our dedicated students the ability to still compete for the buckles and scholarship. Since social distancing has become an everyday word now, many of us have turned to electronic media to work and conduct classes and meetings, we feel this is certainly an avenue we can make use of to have a contest of sorts. We cannot feasibly hold an entire contest, but we can present a worthy competition for those interested to compete for the prizes. With this in mind, the Woodland Clinic Committee is holding a video contest for any of our Angelina County FFA and 4H Forestry students who had the intention of competing in this year’s regular contest. Teachers and Coaches, this will be by your determination of who is eligible. The contest will be for each student competing to submit an instructional “how to” video no longer than 10 minutes, about the tree measurement and volume discipline we ordinarily use in the contest. A student will select 5 pine trees, determine the diameter (DBH) and height of each tree to a 6” merchantable height using their Biltmore or homemade stick, and then use a Doyle Form Class 81 chart to determine board feet. Google is a great place to find the chart or maybe we can provide one though our Woodland Clinic website we have at TFA.
This video should be presented in a way to show someone that has never done this, how to measure and calculate board feet of a tree or trees using the normal parameters of the contest. Each video will be judged on how well the student meets the requirements of the task. The videos can be recorded on any media device available to the student as long as it can be uploaded.
Once done, the student can open the Texas Forestry Association (TFA) website, open the link to Woodland Clinic, and then click on the portal for Angelina Woodland Clinic Contest 2020 and upload their video no later than May 29th, 2020. Beginning the first of June, Woodland Clinic Committee members will judge the videos and determine the winners. There will be a 1st,2nd, & 3rd place buckle given as well as the $2000 scholarship given to an eligible 2020 Senior.
I know that school is close to being “officially” finished, but we can proceed with this for those interested. I hope you as teachers and coaches can get this information out to your students through your normal school and team portals and we have great participation. We look forward to seeing what the students come up with.
If you have a question, contact Ricky Gay by email or phone.
Email: rdgcons@yahoo.com
Phone: 936-675-2841
Calendar of Events
THE ANGELINA COUNTY FORESTRY CONTEST HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19.
Angelina County Forestry Contest
Sponsored by: Texas Forestry Association and Texas A&M Forest Service
Location: Texas A&M Forest Service Hudson Office, 155 Texas Forest Service Loop, Lufkin, TX 75904
Description: Open to FFA and 4-H students in Angelina County and the surrounding area. Scoring will be on an individual basis, so bring as few or as many participants as you would like. Prizes are awarded to the top three individuals in each event. heck-in at 8:30. Contest begins at 9:00.
Registration: Free. Advance registration is not necessary. For more information contact Ricky Gay at 936-675-2841 or rdgcons@yahoo.com
Check-in: 8:30 am
Red River Army Depot Forestry Contest, March 5, 2020
Sponsored by: Red River Army Depot
Location: Red River Army Depot, Texarkana, Texas
Description: Open to all FFA and 4-H.
Registration: No cost for registration, $10 per meal if eating. Check-in is at 8:30 am. Please register by March 1, 2020 to allow for access to Red River Army Depot.
Contact Greg Kelley at 903-277-2912 or gregory.a.kelley5.civ@mail.mil
Check-in: 8:30 am
State Woodland Clinic, April 23, 2020 CONTEST HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO COVID19.
Sponsored by: Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board
Location: Stephen F. Austin Experimental Forest, Nacogdoches, TX
Description: Open to all 4-H teams and qualified FFA teams. Prizes are awarded to top teams and individuals in both FFA and 4-H divisions.
Registration: Registration information will be posted on judgingcard.com
If you have a Woodland Clinic event that you would like added to the calendar, please email tstevens@texasforestry.org.