The 2009 State Contest for the 4-H Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Program (WHEP) will be held on April 4, 2009 at the Gus Engeling Wildlife Management Area in Anderson County just northwest of Palestine. Click the GEWMA hyperlink to find directions and other information regarding the facility. This public land (~11,000 ac) serves as a wildlife research and demonstration site for the Post Oak Savanna and is operated by Texas Parks and Wildlife.
For the contest, this area is located in the Southeast Mixed and Outer Coastal Plains Forests ecoregion of the WHEP Manual. Teams at this contest will be responsible for information from this and the Urban ecoregions.
Contest registration is made by the local coach through the 4-H Connect online system. Contact your local AgriLife Extension Service office with any questions regarding setting up that system. Registration payment is made online as well.
Contest check in on site will begin at 7:00 a.m. The contest will begin at 8:00 a.m. and continue into the late afternoon. The contest will follow the revised National WHEP Manual (2008). Access to that manual is available at the National 4-H WHEP website.
New age categories for the state contest are as follows: Junior, 9 (or 8 and in 3rd grade)-10 years old; Intermediate, 11-13 years old; Senior, 14-18 years old; all as of August 31, 2008. There will be Junior and Intermediate Age Class modifications to the contest. These will be described in later correspondence. All contestants are required to provide and carry a clipboard and at least two pencils during the contest.
Lunch will not be provided on contest day, however, there will be a lunch break. Due to the remote setting of the Gus Engeling WMA, it is recommended that teams bring in items for lunch that day.
Further information regarding the contest, lodging, and other logistics for the day are coming in future correspondence. Please feel free to contact me with any questions. I look forward to another challenging 4-H WHEP program and contest.
Written by Larry Hysmith