The East Knox FFA team recently participated in the National FFA Forestry Career Development Event, representing Ohio. The event took place on October 29 at Morgan-Monroe State Forest near Martinsville, Indiana, as part of the 98th National FFA Convention. The team, consisting of graduates Hayden Baker, Aiden Kapper, Dylan Springer, and sophomore Curtis Divan, achieved a fourteenth-place finish among state-winning teams from across the country.
Individually, Dylan Springer secured the 22nd position with a Gold rating. Curtis Divan finished 38th with a Gold rating as well. Aiden Kapper was placed 84th with a Silver rating, while Hayden Baker came in at 97th with a Silver rating. Recognition for the top four teams and top ten individuals occurred on-stage at Lucas Oil Stadium during the convention's fourth general session on October 30.
The team earned their spot in this national event by winning the State Forestry Career Development Event hosted by Hocking College in Nelsonville last September. In that contest, Springer placed second, Kapper fifth, Baker ninth, and Divan twenty-sixth out of 235 participants.
During the competition, team members were tested on various skills such as identifying tree species and forestry tools, conducting timber cruises to assess lumber volume in forest stands, troubleshooting chainsaw parts, determining wood species from products presented to them, and identifying diseases and disorders affecting forests. They also completed a written test about the forest industry.
Additionally, they undertook a team activity involving management problems where they calculated tree heights and diameters; determined distances and azimuths of property lines; identified features from topographical maps; performed forest management calculations; evaluated timber stand improvements; identified tree disorders; and measured slopes.
This marks the ninth time an East Knox FFA forestry team has qualified for national-level competition. Five times they have represented Ohio as first-place winners at the National FFA Convention and four times as second-place winners at the Eastern States Exposition in Massachusetts. Their best performance at this national level was sixth place in 1999.
The Forestry Career Development Event aims to evaluate students' knowledge in forestry management while recognizing those who excel in demonstrating relevant skills and competencies.
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