VIRGINIA
TECH'S 4-H WILDLIFE TEAM
TAKES NATIONAL TITLE
BLACKSBURG, Sept. 2, 2002
-- Virginia's 4-H Wildlife
Habitat Evaluation Program
(WHEP) team, under the direction
of Jeff Kirwan, associate
professor of forestry and
Extension specialist for
natural resources education,
took first place in the
team competition at the
2002 4-H WHEP National Contest
near Wooster, Ohio, on July
27. High school students,
Joshua Salatin of Augusta
County, along with his three
teammates from Loudoun County,
Jordan Clough, Rosemary
Martin, and Emily Smith
won national honors as the
overall high scoring team
in the contest.
The
contest, which is held annually
in different regions of
the country, attracted 98
4-H participants and more
than 45 coaches and guests
from 26 states. Participants
judged wildlife habitat
in a wetlands region using
habitat evaluation skills
they learned through their
local 4-H WHEP training.
Contestants had to judge
the suitability of habitat
for wildlife species through
on-sight evaluation, aerial
photographs, and wildlife
foods identification. Teams
also wrote urban and rural
wildlife management plans
for nine wildlife and fish
species.
The Virginia team had the
first place rural management
plan and the second place
urban plan. Salatin placed
first in aerial photograph
interpretation, fourth in
wildlife foods ID, and ninth
highest individual overall.
Martin was eighth in on
site management practices
and tenth high individual
overall. Clough placed fifth
in aerial photographs and
eleventh high individual
overall. Combined, these
outstanding rankings resulted
in Virginia winning the
national title: High Team
Overall for the 2002 National
4-H Wildlife Habitat Evaluation
Invitational.
"Species
that were featured in this
year's event included redhead
duck, muskrat, wood duck,
beaver, and bullfrogs,"
noted Anne Gallus, 4-H volunteer
and coach of the team. "Contestants
were expected to know their
habitat requirements, diet,
cover and water needs. They
had to be able to apply
their knowledge to write
a comprehensive plan to
manage an area for multiple
species."
"The
kids that participate in
WHEP eventually become members
of the work force that know
how to create better habitat
for wildlife and fish, no
matter what professional
field they have chosen,"
said Jim Armstrong, national
committee member. "These
are also the people that
end up making informed decisions
about wildlife issues at
the ballot box."
The contest was held at
Killbuck Wildlife Management
Area and Ohio State University
and Agricultural Technical
Institute. The national
contest is sponsored by
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, Sustainable Forestry
and Wildlife of International
Paper, the Rocky Mountain
Elk Foundation, the National
Rifle Association, and many
Ohio natural resources associations.
WHEP 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. WHEP
won the 1996 Wildlife Society
Conservation Education Award.
The Wildlife Society is
the professional organization
that certifies wildlife
biologists nationwide.
Virginia
will host the National Wildlife
Habitat Evaluation Invitational
in 2004. The contest will
be held in Blacksburg on
the Virginia Tech Campus.
More than 25 states are
expected to participate
in the contest. "We are
looking for local and state
corporate and private sponsors
to help fund this event,"
explained Kirwan. "Sponsorship
opportunities range from
exclusive contest sponsor
at $75,000 to $25 friend
of 4-H sponsors. Special
event sponsors are needed
for such activities as the
banquet, pig roast, fun
day event, hat and t-shirts,
and transportation." For
sponsorship information,
contact Jeff Kirwan at (540)
231-7265 or jkirwan@vt.edu.
Pictured from left to right
are: Emily Smith, Josh Salatin,
Jordan Clough, and Rosemary
Martin. Josh is from Augusta
County, other three students
are from Loudoun County.
