On Saturday, April 23, 2022, 49 4-H youth gathered at Jordan Lake Educational State Forest in Chatham County for the 2022 4-H Wildlife Habitat Education Program State Contest (WHEP).  Eleven counties put forth four Senior Division teams and five Junior Division teams.  In addition, 16 individuals and four Cloverbuds participated in the contest. The contest consisted of four activities: wildlife identification and general wildlife knowledge, wildlife foods, aerial photo interpretation, and on-site wildlife habitat recommendations.

The top scoring Senior Division team from Forsyth County will have the opportunity to represent North Carolina at the National   4-H WHEP Contest this August in London, Kentucky. Members of the Forsyth County team are Luke Arrowood, Ben Cook, Cana Hooker, and Nathan Patton. Colleen Cassell from Alleghany County had the second highest Senior individual score behind Arrowood, and will serve as the alternate for the national invitational. Carla Arrowood is the lead coach for the team, with assistance from Angie Cook and Forsyth County’s 4-H Agent, April Bowman. This will be Forsyth County’s second appearance at the national contest.

Henderson and Alleghany Counties placed second and third in the Senior Division, with Edgecombe County placing fourth. Forsyth County also placed first in the Junior Division, with Henderson and Brunswick Counties placing second and third.

Teams traveled from across the state to participate in the state contest at Jordan Lake Educational State Forest. Counties represented included Alexander, Alleghany, Brunswick, Cabarrus, Catawba, Edgecombe, Forsyth, Henderson, Wake, Wilson, and Union counties. This is the first state WHEP contest since 2019 due to the COVID pandemic.

WHEP is a national 4-H program teaching youth about wildlife and the management of their habitats. Extension Forestry, within NC State University’s College of Natural Resources, supports and promotes the 4-H WHEP program in North Carolina. Since 2001, over 1000 youth have participated in the program at the state level.

For more information about the NC WHEP program and other 4-H programs offered by Extension Forestry, visit forestry.ces.ncsu.edu/4h/ or contact Renee Strnad, Extension Forestry Environmental Educator, at renee_strnad@ncsu.edu or 919-515-5518.