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amerikestrel wrote:

QuantumLeaper wrote:I've never done an ID event, so I'm thinking of adding it to my list for next year. What do the tests typically involve?

ID tests usually can be run as a powerpoint or in stations. Forestry will probably be run as stations at most competitions – it's easy to get leaves or bark since the trees don't move. Half of the test is identification and half is knowledge based questions about trees, with specific questions about trees on the list. Resources allowed will probably be similar to ornithology – 1 or 2 field guides per team and a couple pages of notes. They might bring back binders, but it's unlikely.

It was binders when I last did it around 6 years ago, so it could be back again, though not necessarily.

Also, if I remember correctly, different regions have different lists, since of course not all trees grow in every state in the US. State lists are all different and you get a new list for Nationals. They might change that though.

gneissisnice wrote:

amerikestrel wrote:

QuantumLeaper wrote:I've never done an ID event, so I'm thinking of adding it to my list for next year. What do the tests typically involve?

ID tests usually can be run as a powerpoint or in stations. Forestry will probably be run as stations at most competitions – it's easy to get leaves or bark since the trees don't move. Half of the test is identification and half is knowledge based questions about trees, with specific questions about trees on the list. Resources allowed will probably be similar to ornithology – 1 or 2 field guides per team and a couple pages of notes. They might bring back binders, but it's unlikely.

It was binders when I last did it around 6 years ago, so it could be back again, though not necessarily.

Also, if I remember correctly, different regions have different lists, since of course not all trees grow in every state in the US. State lists are all different and you get a new list for Nationals. They might change that though.

Don't they do that for all ID events? A lot of states had state-specific lists in ornithology. PA didn't though, so I used the nats list the entire time. Requiring states to have their own tree list could be good and bad, I suppose.

amerikestrel wrote:

gneissisnice wrote:

amerikestrel wrote: ID tests usually can be run as a powerpoint or in stations. Forestry will probably be run as stations at most competitions – it's easy to get leaves or bark since the trees don't move. Half of the test is identification and half is knowledge based questions about trees, with specific questions about trees on the list. Resources allowed will probably be similar to ornithology – 1 or 2 field guides per team and a couple pages of notes. They might bring back binders, but it's unlikely.

It was binders when I last did it around 6 years ago, so it could be back again, though not necessarily.

Also, if I remember correctly, different regions have different lists, since of course not all trees grow in every state in the US. State lists are all different and you get a new list for Nationals. They might change that though.

Don't they do that for all ID events? A lot of states had state-specific lists in ornithology. PA didn't though, so I used the nats list the entire time. Requiring states to have their own tree list could be good and bad, I suppose.

I never did Ornithology, but I don't recall them doing that for Bugs or Herpetology. For Rocks and Minerals, there's only one list, but there is a rule that State directors can add up to 5 more samples to the list for their state, but they must announce it at least two weeks before competition (or something like that). I've never personally seen that rule carried out though.

gneissisnice wrote: Also, if I remember correctly, different regions have different lists, since of course not all trees grow in every state in the US. State lists are all different and you get a new list for Nationals. They might change that though.

so that means that states list would also be regional lists? doesn't that make it hard if you make it to nats? then you have to learn new stuff?

tuftedtitmouse12 wrote:

gneissisnice wrote: Also, if I remember correctly, different regions have different lists, since of course not all trees grow in every state in the US. State lists are all different and you get a new list for Nationals. They might change that though.

so that means that states list would also be regional lists? doesn't that make it hard if you make it to nats? then you have to learn new stuff?

I ended up not doing the event at Nats (I only did it at Invitationals and States because the girl who usually did it had a conflict at both competitions) so I can't say just how different the list is between States at Nats, but as far as I know, Regionals and States use the same list.

ok...im probably not going to make it to nats, so ill be all set

gneissisnice, I know you kinda already said this, but what else is there beside ID'ing trees and the knowledge test?

fishman100 wrote:gneissisnice, I know you kinda already said this, but what else is there beside ID'ing trees and the knowledge test?

Not gneiss, but I can answer this. Typically ID competitions are 50% ID and 50% questions. So unless the test writer throws something completely different in, that's all there will be. Of course, the questions can be on almost anything.

amerikestrel wrote:

fishman100 wrote:gneissisnice, I know you kinda already said this, but what else is there beside ID'ing trees and the knowledge test?

Not gneiss, but I can answer this. Typically ID competitions are 50% ID and 50% questions. So unless the test writer throws something completely different in, that's all there will be. Of course, the questions can be on almost anything.

It's been a very long time since I've done this event so I forgot a lot of it, but like Amerikestrel said, it's just IDing and questions, like all ID events.

I don't really remember specific questions except for one: we were given a sample of a Flowering Dogwood, asked to ID it, and then we were asked what kind of chlorophyll it used. I remember that because we had no idea that there were even different kinds of chlorophyll (I think you could figure it out by knowing that a Dogwood turns red in the fall, so it has a certain pigment and that's what they wanted).

so pretty much the questions are random?