UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Pennsylvania’s 4-H Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Program team finished eighth in the 2005 4-H National Contest at the Arkansas 4-H Center near Little Rock, Ark., last month. The contest, which is held annually in different regions of the country, attracted 72 participants and more than 40 coaches from 19 states. Participants judged wildlife habitat in the Southeast Mixed and Outer Coastal Plan Forest regions using habitat-evaluation skills they learned through their local 4-H Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Program training.

Contestants individually judged the suitability of habitat for wildlife species through on-site evaluation and aerial photographs. As teams, they also wrote urban and rural wildlife management plans for eight different wildlife species.

Pennsylvania team members included Chad Barkley of Home, Sarah Tinney of Covington, Robin Beisel of Clymer and Braden Stone of Loganton. All won the right to attend the national contest by placing tops in the state Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Program contest held in April 2005 near State College. The state team’s coaches were Deborah Beisel and Nancy Barclay, both adult volunteers with Indiana County 4-H. “The national 4-H Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Program contest is sponsored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and International Paper," says Sanford Smith, Penn State Extension specialist. "Eighteen other state and local sponsors provided financial and/or logistical support for the 2005 program.”

Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Program is a 4-H youth natural resource program dedicated to teaching wildlife and fisheries habitat management to junior and senior level (ages 8-19) youth in the United States. The program won the Wildlife Society’s 1996 Conservation Education Award. The Wildlife Society is the professional organization that certifies wildlife biologists worldwide.

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EDITORS: Contact Sanford Smith at 814-863-0401 or by e-mail at sss5@psu.edu.

PHOTO CAPTION: The Pennsylvania’s 4-H Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Program team scored high marks in Little Rock, Ark., this summer. Shown (from left) are Coach Deborah Beisel, team members Chad Barkley, Sarah Tinney, Robin Beisel and Braden Stone, and Coach Nancy Barkley.

Writer/Editor: Jeff MulhollemOffice 814-863-2719