Forestry B/C

[Cheesy Pie]

Ok! Thank you! Got any good field guides?

[NYLHVSSO]

NWF (National wildlife fed) - includes most species and has lots of pictures, ID tips, range maps, descriptions, etc. I have this field guide and I plan to use it for next year.

[JSGandora]

The thing with NWF is that it doesn't have much extra information, am I correct? I looked at the NWF guide for Wildflowers and it had barely any extra information as to how it's used, etc. about the specimen. Also, it doesn't have any free space to write it (if the wildflower guide is anything like the tree guide).

[NYLHVSSO]

That is correct; there is not much space to write in NWF (some may take that as a disadvantage, but I do not). I don't know what you mean by "extra" information, but the tree guide does have a lot of information including notes on the ecology of specific trees. For example: the notes for Ginkgo say it is used as medicine and is being investigated as a cure for Alzheimer's, etc. Each family also has its own few paragraphs of information.

[JSGandora]

Really? A few paragraphs of information on each tree? Then that may change my mind. The NWF guide has a few sentences about each flower but that's explainable since there's not much to say about flowers. But if science olympiad is endorsing Audobon again, event supervisors might test on information in the Audobon guide.

[NYLHVSSO]

Read again. A few paragraphs on each family, and 1/3 of page to one whole page for species.

[JSGandora]

Hm, well again, the problem is the supervisors using the Audobon guides for testing. But then again, if you have a guide with lots of information, then that won't be too much of a problem either. Sibley has lots of writing space but you don't want to write too much, NWF doesn't have much (extra) information. By extra information, I mean besides the normal ID stuff and range maps, like how they're used and such.

[missionimpossible]

Besides a field guide, are we allowed any other resources?

[JSGandora]

In the Preliminary thread, someone said that only one sheet of paper front and back per team. It's not confirmed yet though. He said he was 99% sure. All we can do is wait until the rules come out.

[Vizard007]

So, I was wondering.... the field guide for Forestry sold by the SO company... when it says "East" or "West." Would it be ideal to purchase both of them? Or just one of them depending on where we live?

[JSGandora]

I would think that your state would test on trees in their own region so if you live in the east, purchase the east, likewise the west...but if you live in the middle of the country...good luck. But for nationals, they're definitely testing on both east and west so both would be needed. There are better guides out there than Audobon though...

[JKrafsur]

OK, I'm about ready to buy my field guide, but I really want to know what other people are buying first. Obviously, most are buying Sibley or Audobon. I heard about NWF. I am worried like the comments a few above me that Science O is speciafically going to ask questions around the Audobon field guide. What are you buying and which one is the best?

[rfscoach]

OK, I'm about ready to buy my field guide, but I really want to know what other people are buying first. Obviously, most are buying Sibley or Audobon. I heard about NWF. I am worried like the comments a few above me that Science O is speciafically going to ask questions around the Audobon field guide. What are you buying and which one is the best?

Some local event supervisors I've spoken to in the past have said that they intentionally AVOID asking questions out of the recommended guides. Also remember that if a National Event Supervisor wrote the rules, they are only responsible for writing the National Test. That is one test out of the 300+ forestry tests that will be written and used in Invites, Regions, States and Nats this year.

Some National Event supervisors also run events at the state and regional level and will write tests for those too. As an example, Chalker comes to mind. If you are on an Ohio team going to Nationals, you should have a very good idea on what to expect on the national Optics test.

[JSGandora]

I'm stuck between getting Sibley and NWF. I can't find any sample pages for NWF and the sample pages for Sibley are impossible to read. Does anyone have any opinions on which guide is better?

[JSGandora]

I have just found out that the National Wildlife Federation Guide is organized by leaf shape, which is a huge disadvantage in my opinion. If you want to study taxonomy then it is an even bigger disadvantage. I think I'm going to get Sibley.