Hello Students!  Just a note about technology for the Sequoia Forestry Challenge.  First of all, each team should have one laptop to use in preparation of their focus topic presentation.  PCs are preferred.  If you bring a Mac, you will need to be able to convert files so they are PC friendly, and also have an adapter so your Mac can connect to a projector.  More than one laptop per team is allowed, but not necessary.  If you need a laptop, I have a few available for loan, but you need to let me know in advance if you want to check one out.  On the first night of the Challenge, you will receive a flash drive with all of the important materials that we can think of, so be sure your computer has a standard USB port.  You can also bring any background information about the focus topic on the hard drive of your laptop that you think will help you in the preparation of your presentation, as there will be limited or no internet access for you to do research while you are there.  Your computer also needs to have PowerPoint software loaded onto it.  We do not use Prezi or Google Slides, as they are dependent on an internet connection, and Quaker Meadow Camp does not have Wi-Fi.  At the end of the presentation prep time, you will copy your completed presentation onto the flash drive and turn it in.  We will load it onto one computer that will be dedicated to your assigned presentation room.  And, lastly, I highly recommend bringing a camera that can hard-wire transfer photos to your laptop.  If you have any questions about technology at the Sequoia Forestry Challenge, please email Diane.  Thanks!

Sequoia 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:
    • White Fir
    • Red Fir
    • Sugar Pine
    • Incense Cedar
    • Giant Sequoia
  7. Be familiar with the range and ecology of Giant Sequoia.
  8. 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 (linked videos may require an Adobe Flash update)

  1. Know how to pace a chain.
  2. Know how to use the following forestry tools: Biltmore Stick (diameter and height), clinometerdiameter tapeangle gauge, and increment borer.
  3. Interpret volume tables using raw data.
  4. Interpret maps, including but not limited to township/range/section, ownership, distances/scale, directional headings, and topography.
  5. Understand how forests are managed to produce timber, and what products are derived from timber.

Outdoor Ethics

  1. Understand the difference between the four categories of federal land, and special designations (wilderness areas and national monuments) that can occur within all four types.
  2. Know the basic tenants of Leave No Trace.
  3. Know how to prepare for a day hike.

2017 Focus Topic:  Forest Inventory at Quaker Meadow Camp

  1. Understand the purpose and use patterns of Quaker Meadow Camp.
  2. Be familiar with basic inventory calculations used to assess a forest stand.
  3. Be familiar with the recent and ongoing tree mortality epidemic in California’s forests.

Additional General Resources