Sean C. Morgan
Oregon high school forestry programs last week honored their students last week with special recognition based on how teens performed at career development events or competitions earlier in the year, prior to the closure of schools in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The idea was to recognize the students who would normally be recognized at the state competition, said Sweet Home natural resources teacher Blake Manley.
“I developed the plan,” Manley said. “The state (Future Natural Resource Leaders, which oversees the career events statewide) put their backs behind my proposal and recognized students that did exceptional this past year. It’s just purely recognition based on points loosely based on what we did in the fall.”
In theory, it approximates how they would have done at the state event, based on previous performance, and how students could be expected to improve during the season, Manley said.
He noted that seniors, like Sam Mitchell, put four years into the program and ended up getting “the short end of the stick” this year.
“We left it pretty open-ended on what you (advisers) choose if a kid was close or a kid worked their tail off,” Manley said.
Students received recognition in three categories: logger, forestry and natural resource.
Logger certificates recognized those students who excelled in events that will help them enter the workforce directly from high school, Manley said. The events are directly linked historically or currently to occupations in logging, including choker setting, spur climb, power buck, ax throw, cable splicing, cross-cut saw, log rolling and first aid.
Scores were calculated based on the current rules at competitions earlier in the year. One did not include divisions for Jack and Jill foresters, following a Title IX ruling by Oregon Department of Education, while others did prior to the ruling.
Earning “gold” logger certificates were Samantha Mitchell, Rebekah Belcher, Denae Pennington and Dacotah Pennington.
“Silver” loggers were Haley Nunes, Tristan Lemmer, Alex Miller, Tristan Caulkins, Dustin Jackman and Isaiah Wolfe. “Bronze” loggers were Jenna Wolthius, Brooke Dodge, Micaylah Meston, David Pierce, Broc Tuller and Kolton Wolfe.
Forester certificates recognized students who excelled in events that will help them further their education or become certified foresters. Events included map reading, timber cruising, log scale, job interview, tree identification, tool identification and hose lay.
Earning gold forester certificates were Rebekah Belcher and Garret Gutierrez.
Silver foresters were Samantha Mitchell, Denae Pennington, Haley Nunes, Dacotah Pennington, Alex Miller, Tristan Lemmer and Dustin Jackman. Bronze foresters were Micaylah Meston, Kristan Stafford, David Pierce, Broc Tuller, Kotlon Wolfe, Isaiah Wolfe, Tristan Caulkins and Colton Welch.
The all-around natural resources leader certificate recognized students who exceeded expectations and helped to create highly successful learning environments. All event points are used to recognize the all-around leaders because they are well balanced in all things natural resource related, Manley said.
First-team natural resources certificates went to Rebekah Belcher and Samantha Mitchell.
Earning second-team natural resources certificates were Denae Pennington, Haley Nunes, Dacotah Pennington, Tristan Lemmer, Alex Miller, Dustin Jackman and Garret Gutierrez.
Receiving honorable mention were Madison Seavey, Micaylah Meston, Brooke Dodge, David Pierce, Kolton Wolfe, Isaiah Wolfe, Tristan Caulkins, Wyatt Aiello, Stephen Webb, Broc Tuller, Kael Olson and Kyston Bate.