Forsyth 4-H, UGA Extension host Wildlife Management Day for students

Heather Haines, Forsyth County 4‑H Agent, helped lead a team of UGA Extension agents and volunteer leaders that took Forsyth 4‑H students to Ellijay on April 7 for a Wildlife Management Day that ran from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The daylong field trip, open to students in grades 4–12, combined short classroom sessions with field exercises and required participants to be prepared for roughly three miles of light hiking and to bring money for lunch.

Stations staffed by Forsyth Extension personnel and subject‑matter experts covered native Georgia wildlife, habitat management and wildlife identification, and included hands‑on activities such as planning food plots and practicing ethical recreation. The agenda also referenced safe firearm and archery handling in an educational context, consistent with Georgia 4‑H’s Project S.A.F.E. framework that provides certified coach training and scholarship pathways for students who continue in shooting sports.

The April 7 trip was timed to fit county competitive and educational calendars: Forsyth Extension maintains ongoing Wildlife Judging practice and an area contest scheduled April 17, with state contests in early May, making the field day both a general conservation workshop and a practical prep day for students competing at the county and area level. Organizers asked participants to complete short post‑event surveys to help tailor future programming and flagged follow‑up opportunities such as summer camps and additional county 4‑H offerings.

Forsyth County’s rapid growth frames why Extension staff prioritize hands‑on stewardship. U.S. Census estimates put Forsyth County population near 280,096 as of July 1, 2024, increasing pressure on green spaces that residents use for recreation. Local assets include Sawnee Mountain Preserve, a 963‑acre site with a visitor center in Cumming, and Lake Sidney Lanier, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir that attracts several million visits annually; Extension officials cite rising visitation and development as reasons to connect youth to wildlife management and safe outdoor use.

University of Georgia Cooperative Extension in Forsyth County fields a staff that typically organizes these programs: Heather Haines (4‑H Agent), MaKenzie Leatherwood (4‑H Educator), Heather Kolich (County Extension Coordinator/ANR Agent), Shannon Henderson (ANR Educator) and Beverly Adams (ANR Program Assistant). The Forsyth office provided program registration through the UGA Extension calendar and listed the county office contact as 770‑887‑2418, email forsyth.extension@uga.edu, and mailing address 5110 Piney Grove Road, Cumming, GA 30040 for families seeking details about transportation, accommodations or future events.

The April 7 Wildlife Management Day plugged local students into a statewide youth‑development pipeline: Georgia 4‑H and the Cooperative Extension system feed camps, contests and career pathways in forestry, fisheries and wildlife sciences, while Project S.A.F.E. and wildlife judging offer certified training and scholarship opportunities for older students. Extension agents indicated they will use participant feedback from the field day to shape follow‑up programming aimed at converting early interest into longer‑term stewardship and potential careers in Georgia’s outdoor economy.