UF/IFAS School of Forest, Fisheries and Geomatics Sciences (SFFGS) extension staff and faculty hosted senior 4-H members on July 29 and 30 as they were taking part in the 2026 Florida 4-H Youth Development Program’s 4-H University.

The program is a week-long overnight event for senior 4-H youth (ages 14-18) who participate in educational workshops led by UF faculty. They explore career opportunities, lead community service activities, and make friends from across the state and beyond.

SFFGS hosted the students at UF/IFAS Austin Cary Forest Campus and at UF/IFAS Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences in Gainesville where they got hands-on experience working with surveying equipment, learning forest management skills, and learning about aquaculture, water quality, and invertebrate identification in pond ecosystems.

Forestry

SFFGS Assistant Director and Forester Scott Sager took students out into the flatwoods of UF/IFAS Austin Cary Forest Campus for a lesson “What’s in a Tree?”

Students used professional tools to collect basic forest inventory data (tree density, diameter, and height) and do some basic calculations to translate that information into tons of wood, financial value, and amount of carbon storage.

“We used a logger’s tape and a clinometer,” Sager said about the tools he introduced to the students. “Both are cool in that they are mechanical computers. The logger’s tape is wrapped around the tree to measure circumference but is scaled to produce diameter instead; and the clinometer allows you to measure height by using an angle measurement at a known distance, using trigonometry.”

“Students hopefully come to understand that forests have a wide variety of potential uses such as sustainable wood supply, economic value, wildlife habitat, carbon storage, etc., and that foresters manage forests to meet a variety of objectives.” Sager said.

Geomatics

Geomatics Specialist Alejandro Perez, PSM designed an activity that simulated boundary surveying called “Surveying Methods and Technologies.”

Students were introduced to and used the various tools used for surveying such as total stations, Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), magnetic locators, navigation compasses, and measuring tapes.

“The activities included distance measurement by total station, map reading, and navigation using survey-grade GNSS units,” Perez said. “Skills actually used by surveying professionals.”

Perez said his main goal in the surveying lesson was “to expose the students to some of what surveyors do and to the opportunities available to them in the field of geomatics.

“I hope that they tie the activities we did to things they enjoy doing/their strengths and inspire them to find their place within the surveying and geospatial world,” he said.

Fisheries

With dipnets in hand, participants started their lesson in fisheries by collecting freshwater invertebrates and then identified them using a dichotomous key which involved discussing the creatures’ unique characteristics and roles in aquatic food webs.

They also toured facilities including a visit to the LAKEWATCH lab, and Molluscan Shellfish Aquaculture and Restoration (MSAR) laboratories.

Students talked to scientists about their research and how they got started in their field.

At the LAKEWATCH lab they learned about citizen science programs, water quality testing, and the benefits of long-term environmental monitoring, and at the molluscan shellfish aquaculture and restoration labs they learned about the running and maintaining of aquaculture operations.

LAKEWATCH Chemist Thomas McManus answered questions about his career path and the equipment he uses along with the overall mission of LAKEWATCH and at the MSAR labs they talked to Lab Tech/Research Assistant Rhea Hammond.

“I hope after visiting the UF Fisheries the students take away a better understanding of our local freshwater ecosystems and the importance of maintaining them,” said Fishing for Success Program Coordinator Katie Hagan.

Collaboration

4-H University is one of several ways that SFFGS has collaborated with youth career development events and 4-H.

According to SFFGS Assistant Director for Geomatics Extension Katie Britt, the SFFGS Geomatics Extension program has been working to involve itself in various 4-H programs, both county and statewide, with a goal of introducing youth to surveying careers through the Beyond Ready program.

“4-H has been great to work with at all levels, and the 4-H audience is great because they focus on creativity and communication through all of their programming,” Britt said.

“When we were invited to participate in 4-H University for the first time with a career track, we thought it would be good to include all of SFFGS in the event since we have a number of “hidden gem” majors, and a lot of industry demand for our graduates.”

State 4-H Events Coordinator Kelsey Cook plans 4-H University each year.

Florida 4-H University prepares teens for future careers through hands-on experiences with University of Florida faculty and industry professionals, said Cook, adding that “The UF School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences has been an exceptional Florida 4-H partner, supporting local programming, developing the Surveying and Mapping: Communicating with Maps school program, and hosting our State 4-H Forest Ecology and Nature Poetry contests. Their commitment to forestry, fisheries, and geospatial education made them a natural fit for our Career Tracks, and we are grateful for their continued investment in Florida 4-H youth.”

Student Feedback

“I never realized how much goes into measuring trees,” said Home School Student Caycee Sullivan from Gilchrist County. “That you have gadgets that could do that complicated math and you could get answers fast and accurate, there are so many tools in mapping.”

Oklahoma 4-H State President Jake Vulgamore was able to ask questions and get career information from the scientists he met during the exercises. “It was really cool learning about surveying,” he said. “It’s something I’ve never done before, and I was able to experience a real-world situation.”

Adrianna Frisse, a Manatee County high school sophomore student competes in Future Farmers of America (FFA) challenges. “I’m used to using Biltmore sticks to measure in forestry, but I learned using different tools. And the surveying equipment was new to me.”

Learn more about 4-H University here and about SFFGS here.

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