Hello Students! Here are a few notes about technology for the Championship Forestry Challenge.

Each team should bring one laptop to use for presentation prep. PCs are preferred. NO CHROMEBOOKS PLEASE. More than one computer per team is recommended, but not necessary.
Your laptop must have:
- At least 1 USB 2.0 Type A port
- Powerpoint software – No Internet-dependent programs (Prezi, Google Slides, etc.) Here is an introductory course on how to use PowerPoint.
IF YOU BRING A MAC, you must be able to save your file as a power point presentation (.PPTX) OR have an HDMI adapter to connect to a projector, and you must bring your own dongles for USB-A interfacing.
If you need a laptop, there are a few available for loan (only to teams with NO functioning computers), but please let us know in advance if you want to check one out.
You will receive a flash drive with focus topic related materials to use in your presentation. You can also bring any background information about the focus topic that you think will help you in your presentation.
Camp Sylvester now has limited Wi-Fi with restricted access. Cell service is strong with Verizon and spotty with AT&T. If you are able to hotspot, you are allowed to do so. If not, we will have a few computers made available for you to do online research.
A camera or phone that can hard-wire transfer photos to your laptop is highly recommended.

If you have any questions about technology at the Championship Forestry Challenge, please email Diane. (dianedealeyneill@gmail.com)

Forestry Challenge Championship Learning Objectives

Ecology, Botany, and Plant Identification

Know the basic parts of a tree and their functions.
Understand concepts associated with forests, including stand composition, stand density, and crown classification.
Identify with common names the following tree species without a key, and know where they grow in western North America:
Identify specific species of trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants through the use of a dichotomous identification key. Be familiar with basic terminology related to leaf morphology.

Know how to pace a chain.
Know how to use the following forestry tools: Biltmore Stick (diameter and height), clinometer, compass, diameter tape, angle gauge, and densitometer.
Interpret volume tables and limiting distance tables using raw data.
Determine forest species composition using a 1/10 acre circular fixed-radius plot and know how to measure it given the plot center only.
Interpret maps, including but not limited to township/range/section, ownership, distances/scale, directional headings, and topography.
Know how to read and use a Site Class Table and a Stocking Table.

Understand the role of research in implementing active forest management.
Be familiar with the location and characteristics of the Tuolumne Tract of the Stanislaus Experimental Forest (STEF)
Be familiar with the types of research done at the STEF, particularly the Methods of Cutting study by Duncan Dunning in 1929 and the different treatments in 3 plots, MC9, MC10, and MC11. Understand the significance of rediscovering the data collected in 1929 in 2006 and the remapping of the 1929 plots in 2007 and 2008.
View the maps of each of the 3 plots that were part of the Methods of Cutting Study and notice the “clumpy gappy” nature of the forest prior to European influence.
Meet US Forest Service Researcher Malcolm North and hear his comments on understanding the role of fire in shaping the Mixed Conifer ecosystem.
Understand Forest Resilience and How it is Measured
Be familiar with the Variable Density Thinning Study conducted in 2009, particularly the Treatments, Methods, and Results.
Take a virtual tour of the Variable Density Thinning Study area.
Be familiar with the purpose of the SERAL Project (Social and Ecological Resilience Across the Landscape) to increase forest heterogeneity within and between stands.