Photo By Stacey Reese | Connor Davis from Fort Towson Middle school uses a compass as part of the compass and...... read more read more
BROKEN BOW, Okla. — Students from across southeastern Oklahoma recently competed in a forestry judging contest where they tested their environmental knowledge and land management skills.
Tulsa District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Forester Reilly Cloud and Broken Bow Lake Natural Resource Specialist Adam Miller joined partners from the Oklahoma State Park Service, Oklahoma Forestry Services, the Oklahoma Conservation Commission, Eastern Oklahoma State College, Oklahoma Forestry Association, and the Ouachita Mountains Resource Conservation and Development Council for the event which featured five competition categories: insect identification, tree identification, compass and pacing, forest evaluation and forest quiz.
“This competition reflects many aspects of my job,” said Cloud. “It is a good, real-world look at the challenges USACE foresters and environmental stewards face in our jobs.”
During the competition, participants used tools such as Biltmore sticks, and compasses to analyze tree health, density, forest type, and land management plans. All of these components teach key considerations for sustainable forest management. In the compass and pacing event, students determined distances by measuring stride length and calculating bearings. These skills are essential for forestry management, where measuring tapes are not practical due to the size of the area.
For forest evaluation, students assessed slops, aspect, soil depth and canopy positioning, all influencing tree growth and forest health. Following their evaluations, students developed a basic management plan based on their site evaluations. These plans simulated real-world decisions foresters such as Cloud must make regarding thinning, stand origin and stocking rates in USACE-managed areas.
Students also examined trees to evaluate genetics and forest regeneration methods, learning to distinguish between small trees due to age versus those that struggled due to poor genetics or competition with other area vegetation.
“We’re always looking to the next generation of land managers, and this event is a great way to connect classroom knowledge with practical skills,” said Miller.
For Cloud, helping with the competition is a full-circle moment as 4-H helped lead him on his chosen career path. Cloud joined the Fort Towson group at nine under Mrs. Brents, who still leads the group today.
“This competition gives students a solid foundation in the same kinds of land assessments we do as part of our mission to manage natural resources,” said Cloud. “It’s a great example of how education and environmental stewardship go hand in hand.”
Partnering in these types of competitions has a two-fold benefit. This encourages youth who participate to consider careers in environmental sciences and reinforces USACE goals for fostering partnerships that support a healthy ecosystem.
| Date Taken: | 04.30.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.30.2025 11:20 |
| Story ID: | 496574 |
| Location: | OKLAHOMA, US |
| Web Views: | 93 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Forestry judging event is an opportunity for USACE to support future conservationists, by Stacey Reese, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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