NOTICE: INFORMATION ON THIS PAGE IS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING UPDATED

Hello Students!  Here are a few notes about technology for the 2022 El Dorado Forestry Challenge.

• Each team should bring one laptop to use for presentation prep.  Windows PCs are preferred.  More than one laptop per team is allowed, but not necessary.
• Your laptop must have:
  • At least 1 USB-A port
  • 1 HDMI port
  • Powerpoint software – No Internet-dependent programs (Prezi, Google Slides, etc.)
• IF YOU BRING A MAC, you must be able to convert files so they are .PPTX OR have an HDMI adapter to connect to a projector.
• If you need a laptop, there are a few available for loan, but please let us know in advance if you want to check one out. (Please do not rely on our laptops, they are passible, but your own will be better)
• 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.
• Leoni Meadows has weak Wi-Fi in the workroom, so you should be able to do some limited internet research as you develop your presentation.  However, there is no cell service.
• A camera that can hard-wire transfer photos to your laptop is highly recommended.

If you have any questions about technology at the El Dorado Forestry Challenge, please email Diane.  Thanks!

Sample Schedule	What to Bring	What Happens at Forestry Challenge	Video Contest
Rules	Minor Release Form	Adult Release Form

Download or print the Forestry Challenge Instruction Manual & Study Guide to use in conjunction with the following learning objectives

El Dorado Forestry Challenge Learning Objectives

Ecology, Botany, and Plant Identification

1. Understand the fundamental life processes of plants including photosynthesis and transpiration.
2. Know the basic parts of a tree and their functions.
3. Understand basic ecological concepts including food webs, succession, competition, adaptation, and symbiosis.
4. Understand concepts associated with forests, including stand composition, stand density, and crown classification.
5. Be familiar with the four most common forest plant communities in California, and know their approximate ranges.
6. Identify with common names the following tree species without a key, and know their approximate ranges in California:
   • Ponderosa Pine
   • Sugar Pine
   • Incense-cedar
   • White Fir
   • Douglas-fir
   • California Black Oak
7. 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.

Timber Cruising and Forest Products

8. Know how to prepare for conducting forestry fieldwork, including clothing, safety gear, and environmental hazards.
9. Be familiar with Plot Hound, a forestry inventory app that we will be using for data collection.
10. Know how to pace a chain.
11. Know how to use the following forestry tools: Biltmore Stick (diameter and height), clinometer,  diameter tape, angle gauge [angle gauge 2], densitometer, and increment borer. For information on purchasing your own set of tools, see our recommended tools list. All of these tools can be purchased from Forestry Suppliers, Inc.
12. Interpret volume tables and site class tables using raw data.
13. Determine forest species composition using a 1/10 acre square plot.
14. Interpret maps, including but not limited to township/range/section, ownership, distances/scale, directional headings, and topography.
15. Understand how forests are managed to produce timber, and what products are derived from timber.

2022 Featured Curriculum: Geographic Information System (GIS)

We would like to extend a big thank you to Ian Redding from the Forester’s Co-Op for making this possible. Ian is a GIS Analyst II, and he has created this unit to introduce GIS, and its many applications, to you.

16. Students should be familiar with GIS and understand how its use can help foresters visualize data.
17. What is GIS?
    • GIS stands for Geographic Information Systems and it describes any technology used for the management and display of geographic, or spatial, data. But don’t take our work for it – check out how the geospatial technology leader Esri defines GIS
    • Points, lines, and polygons oh my! Maps are made up of data, and those data are points, often symbolized by a dot, such as a city on a road map, lines, such as roads and rivers, and polygons, a geometric figure having three or more straight sides, such as a rectangle that represents a park. Learn more about GIS and its data types and uses from NatGeo
    • But the earth is round, right? How can we show it on a flat surface like a piece of paper? The answer is simple – PROJECTIONS! Check out this StoryMap called Flattening Earth for a primer on projections. (And feel free to peruse the other six StoryMaps about GIS while you’re there.)
18. GIS in Forestry
    • GIS is used heavily in the forestry and natural resources industries. Think about collecting an inventory of trees – of course GIS will allow you to mark the location of a tree and display it on a map – but GIS also allows for the collection of attributes related to the tree, such as species, height, diameter, health status, and more. It’s these attributes that provide context to spatial data and make GIS such a powerful tool!
    • Check out this video from Esri about how how foresters in Colorado are using GIS

2022 Focus Topic: Reforestation at Leoni Meadows

1. 19. Be familiar with the Caldor Fire of 2021.
   20. Know the benefits of replanting a forest after wildfire.
   21. Understand the law/rules for replanting a forest, event though the rules do not apply to areas burned by wildfire.

Additional General Resources

1. 1. • Glossary
      • California Forests
      • We Care for the Forests
      • Life of the Forest
      • Worksheets
      • Make your own Biltmore Stick using this Biltmore Stick Template