Sixty-two 4-H youth gathered at North Carolina State University's Schenck Memorial Forest in Raleigh on Saturday, October 11, 2025, for the annual 4-H Forestry State Contest. Nine counties put forth four Senior Division teams and nine Junior Division teams. In addition, eight individuals and five Cloverbuds participated in the contest. Contest events included tree identification, tree measurement, insect and disease identification, and compass orienteering. Participants traveled from across the state and represented Bladen, Davidson, Edgecombe, Forsyth, Harnett, Henderson, Onslow, Rockingham, and Wilson counties. Over half of the participants were participating in the Forestry Contest for the first time.

Forsyth county posted the highest Senior Division team score. However, a majority of their team attended the national invitational in 2025, therefore the second place Senior Division Team from Davidson County will have the opportunity to represent North Carolina at the 2026 Forestry Invitational in West Virginia. Members of the Forsyth County Senior Division Team, coached by Carla Arrowood and Margaret Mehaffey, are James Tyler, Sarah Patton, Lucy Mehaffey, and John Tyler. The Davidson County Senior Division Team is coached by Jan Greer and Brandi Pope, and the team members are Lauren Jedrick, Gwendolyn Oates, and Hunter Hunsucker.

In the Junior Division, Forsyth JR Team A placed first, followed closely by Henderson County's Junior Division Team. A full list of team rankings can be found on Extension Forestry's 4-H Program webpage.

The purpose of the forestry contest is to develop an appreciation for the importance of sustainable forest management to ensure forests remain a source of products, benefits, and services necessary for quality living. Youth participating in the 4-H forestry contest learn citizenship and leadership skills as well as practical forest management skills. In North Carolina, the 4-H Forestry Contest is supported by Extension Forestry in the College of Natural Resources at NC State University. The program lead is Renee Strnad, Extension Forestry Environmental Educator. This year, she was assisted by Extension Forestry Area Agent, Colby Lambert, and Forestry Masters Student, Reid Pitts. Funding support from the Renewable Resources Extension Act (RREA) from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture helps financially support the North Carolina 4-H Forestry Contest.