COSHOCTON COUNTY CAREER CENTER NEWS
For Thursday, January 17, 2013
Good morning. My name is Tim Kilpatrick and I am the instructor of
the Natural Resources program at the Coshocton County Career Center. The
Natural Resources program offers hands-on training for students who are interested
in pursuing a career that involves the knowledge of, the development of, and the
management of our country’s natural resources. This morning, I’d like to tell you a
little about the program, the kinds of concepts taught and the activities my students
have been involved in this school year.
I have been teaching the NR program since its inception in 2005. I have a
Bachelor’s degree in Biology and an Associate’s degree in Natural Resources
Management. I also have a Master’s degree in Career-Tech Education which I
earned from Kent State University.
The Natural Resources program allows students to develop a better
appreciation of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the effort and
environmental impact involved in developing and using our natural resources.
In the program students study: Wildlife Management, Forest Management,
and Soil and Water Conservation and Enhancement. We have a unit on Fisheries,
Parks & Recreation, Watercraft Operation, Topographical Mapping, and
Dendrology – which is the study of trees.
Students in the Natural Resources program have the chance to earn several
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certifications. These includer Hunting, Trapping and Watercraft Safety
certifications, earned through the Ohio Department of Natural Resrouces or ODNR.
Students also earn a chainsaw safety certification, called C-SAW, from the Ohio
Forestry Association. Finally, students are given the opportunity to earn two
additional certifications: SafelandUSA and the NCCER Heavy Equipment Operator
certification – both of which, are important certifications for entry-level work in the
Oil and Gas industry.
This year, my students have been involved in many learning activities. They
have learned how to identify the many different species of trees in the eastern
United States. We have also practiced our chainsaw safety and operation skills,
through the process of felling trees, grapevine removal, release cutting and other
timber stand improvement methods. All of these are important for a forest
improvement plan, which many landowners find an important part of managing their
forested properties.
Natural Resources students are also invited to join the National FFA
organization, where they have the chance to compete in numerous competitions, as
well as learning and practicing leadership skills. This year, I am advising our local
FFA club, a club whose membership extends to all CCCC students, not just those in
the Natural Resources program. This year, we have _____ members in our local
FFA club.
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Last fall, six NR students dominated the FFA District 8 Forestry Competition,
finishing in the top 7 spots out of 120+ contestants, from over 13 schools. Five of
them advanced to the state challenge and, although they did not medal, they
performed very well.
Soon we will begin preparing for the FFA Envirothon. The Envirothon
competition covers five different areas in field of natural resources, including
Wildlife Management, Forest Management, Soil & Water Management, Aquatic
Management and current Conservation issues. This is the premiere contest which
tests all main areas of study in our program, and our students usually do very well.
If you’re currently a high school sophomore and you have an interest in the
outdoors, we still have openings in next year’s Natural Resources program. To
learn more, visit our annual Career Center Open House, on Thursday, February 13 th,
from 4 to 8pm.
Thank you for listing to Career Center News this morning and join us next
week at this same time for another broadcast.
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