FREDERICKTOWN — The Fredericktown FFA chapter recently finished 12th in the State Nature Interpretation Career Development Event at Hocking College.
This competition is designed to help stimulate an interest in nature interpretation and allow FFA members to demonstrate their skills, knowledge, and competencies of natural resources.
Participants do so by taking a general knowledge test.
They also have to identify 75 specimens of a variety of mammals, birds, and other wildlife in a variety of ways from the live specimen, skin, skull, track, actual mounts, or other acceptable evidence such as scat or signs.
They also complete practicums that could include any of the following: identifying animal calls and equipment, reading nature signs, determining water quality, and controlling problem plants and animals.
The purpose of these activities to give members the opportunity to show their understanding of the natural resource.
“The team did very well, just barely missing the top 10,” said Fredericktown FFA Advisor Debra Burden.
Those team members of the Nature Interpretation team were: Wesley Petrozino, Mason Gearheart, Isaac Craig, and Lane Dugan.