A second vote occurred on December 6th, and this is now approved.

 

The FFA Board of Directors approved at its September 6th meeting a method for

creating teams to compete in the FFA Environmental and Natural Resources CDE

at the National and the Eastern States Expo for the year 2003. Participating

schools at the state will enter at least two students in the Aquatic Resource

CDE and two in the Wildlife CDE. They will compete as individuals in these

CDEs as they currently do. Prior to FFA Week, members from each of those two

CDE will be identified as members of the Env & Nat Resources team for a team

event scheduled for Wednesday afternoon at PSU.

 

Scores from the Aquatic Resource and Wildlife CDEs will make up a total of

500 points toward the total score of 1500 points. The Env & Nat. Resource

Team event will account for 1000 points. Top individuals in Aquatics and

Wildlife CDEs are still eligible to receive $100 and plaque.

 

A brief synopsis of the Environmental and Natural Resources CDE is as follows,

and can be found in its entirety on the FFA.org website of the National FFA.

 

What’s in the Env & Nat Resources CDE?

1. Team activity.  1000 points.  The subject rotates each year. Students are

given a scenario that they must respond to. They have one hour to prepare a

10-minute presentation to a panel of judges who will ask questions of the

team. Graphics and artwork is encouraged. Students must print off a report

that is also given to the judges.

2. Press Release writing. 100 points. Students are shown a 10-15 minute video

on an environmental topic. They are then asked to write a press release on

this video.

3. National Global Issues interview.  100 points. Students are asked

questions about the video they wrote the press release on. Questions can go

beyond what was shown in the video. This is done orally.

4. ID of equipment plants, wildlife, fish, reptiles and amphibians,

predators, birds, invasive species.  100 points

5. Written test.   100 points

6. Rotational practicum’s. Each worth 50 points.

    A. Water testing and interpretation. Use of a standard water test kit.

    B. Soil nutrient testing. Use a standard soil test kit. Also give

fertilizer recommendations based on the soil test results.

    C. GPS location. Students were given GPS units and had to find several

objects in a large field.

    D. Environmental analysis. This is similar to our wildlife habitat

evaluation but students had to write a food web for the site.

    E. Soil profile. Students used the Oklahoma land-judging scorecard to

judge a soil    profile. Score as we would score a land judging pit.

    F. Waste Management.  Done in 2001. Students were taken into an    

industrial plant    and were shown their recycling efforts and waste

products. They were then asked to suggest changes in recycling that would

reduce the waste stream. If they paid   attention what they were told and

shown, this was an easy exercise.  

 

** Sample scorecards for all parts of this CDE can be requested from either

Ron Frederick or board members. **

 

Having had a team for the past two years competing at this CDE at the

National level, Mr. Frederick states, " My experience has been that

students who have a sound basic knowledge in environmental topics and can

work together as a team will do well in this CDE."

 

The changes that would need to be made in both wildlife and aquatics are

minor. As with most national CDE’s, it is very difficult to include ID of

species, which are mostly unknown in PA. Qualified teams can easily learn

these additional items.

 

Suggested changes to aquatics:

A. Include an environmental (habitat) analysis practicum.

B. Include a GPS exercise as part of the habitat analysis or the water testing

C. Make slight changes in water testing to reflect what is done in the

national CDE

D. Include a press writing exercise

E. Modify the ID list to include:

    Fish- tilapia           Snakes- corn snake & cottonmouth

    Turtle - red eared slider   Frogs- green tree frog

    Birds - least tern      Animals- nutria

    Equipment- conductivity meter, thermometer, refractometer

    Aquatic organisms- fresh water shrimp, zebra mussel, sea lamprey

    Aquatic plants- purple loosestrife

 

Suggested changes to wildlife:

A. Include a press writing exercise

B. Include a GPS exercise in conjunction with the habitat analysis

C. Modify the habitat analysis to more closely match the national

D. Include a soil testing practicum (omit the fertilizer recommendations)

E. Modify the ID list to include:

    Mammals- add coyote & nutria

    Plants- add poison ivy, mimosa, and Paulowina

 

Time and space constraints may prevent attempting all the proposed changes.

Some alterations or downsizing of some CDE areas can be accomplished without

reducing the quality of the CDE.