FFA Forestry Sectional Contest

Saturday we had torrential rain, Sunday was cloudy and damp, but running off, and Monday was glorious.  We had great field conditions for the students and kept them busy all afternoon.  We set up the Compass and Pacing course first thing, then Timber Measurement, Tree ID, Equipment ID, and Silviculture.  The students also had to take a general knowledge test and a test on map interpretation.  It is a real workout for the kids and a few always excel.  Everyone learns, and I bend the rules and coach the ones that don't have a clue what they are doing.  That way they learn a bit and they may do well next year.  Olney took first, and Fairfield was second.  Olney will be going to the state contest at Carbondale on Saturday.   Here are a few photos of the activities.

Bonus measurement info that I provide to students, or anyone else who needs to measure tree height:

Measure Log Length With Any Straight Stick

Biltmore sticks are usually set up for a 25” reach on the tree diameter scale and the Merrit Hypsometer, and many of us do not have a 25” reach.  Using the Merrit Hypsometer requires that you pace out one chain (66 feet) from the tree, and many of the students I see do not understand pacing, so they throw a lot of error into the equation.  There is an alternate method that lessens the errors, but the student must still concentrate on pacing accurately and keeping good form with a stick.

Much of the upland timber we work in will run from 1 ½ to 2 ½ logs in length.  Instead of 66 feet, pace out 32 feet (2 logs) from the tree and turn around.  Your eye is now 32 feet from the tree.  Roll your head back and keep it motionless while measuring.  Extend the hand holding your stick so it is up to eye level.  Bring the top end of the stick back with your other hand so the stick comes to the corner of your eye.  Raise the stick to vertical position, roll your eye to the stump level of the tree and lower your hand with the stick so the top of your hand is in line with the stump (Approx, 1 foot from the ground or less, usually). Hold your head motionless and roll your eye up to the top of the stick.  It will be lined up to show you 32 feet up on the tree, or 2 logs.  If your cutoff point is no more than 8 feet above that, it is a 2 log tree.  If the cutoff point is no more than 8 feet below it, you have a 1 ½ log tree.  Because you often will have a 2 log tree, you can see what ½ of that is and add it to the top of your stick in your head and see if you have a 3 log tree.  If the timber is running taller than a 2 log average, make your distance 40 (2 ½ logs) or 48 (3 logs). 

This method saves a great deal of time in pacing and the 25” reach of the stick is irrelevant.  Check your pace frequently so you can nail that distance and you will do a good job of measuring the merchantable height.  Check your diameter measurements with your Biltmore Stick  against a Diameter Tape so you will know how your stick actually measures for you. 

Bonus Info: You can also measure very close to the exact height of  vertical objects with a stick.  Holding your stick vertically with your head back, move in or out from your object until the stick matches up with the top or the cutoff point.  Pace in to your tree, wall, smokestack, or whatever you are measuring.  Now you know the height.  This method is also valuable to see if a tree will strike an object that you don’t want to strike, such as  a power line.  Stand at the power line and set up your stick.  If the object (tree, silo, smokestack) is standing taller than your stick, it will hit you.  So Easy it should not be legal.

PS: I just heard from Olney.  They took first place at the Monticello Sectional and their five team members were all in the top ten.