***This article was written by Floyd Jenkins, a participant of The Kewanee Voice Student Journalism Program, funded by the Harry Anderson Memorial Trust.
The Section 3 FFA held its annual Forestry Career Development Event (CDE) on Wednesday, Sept. 17, from 9-11 a.m. in Wiley Park, Galva.
Schools participating were Galva, Kewanee, Wethersfield, Stark County, Cambridge, AlWood, Geneseo and Bureau Valley, with both varsity and junior high teams competing.
The event, organized by the Galva FFA chapter, featured four stations: pacing, equipment identification, tree identification and mapping practicum. Students spent weeks preparing for these stations, testing their forestry knowledge through a series of quizzes and hands-on challenges.
Awards were later presented to the top-performing schools. Cambridge took first place, followed by Galva in second. Bureau Valley and Wethersfield tied for third, with Stark County finishing in fourth.
This year’s event was deemed a success, with all participants returning home safely under clear skies.
