On Thursday May 16th, fifteen students from the DCMO BOCES Pole Campus Conservation program and fifteen students from the Harrold Campus traveled to Paul Smith’s College in the Adirondacks to compete in the New York State Conservation Contests. Thirteen BOCES and Tech Ed programs from across the state competed against one another in program curriculum competitions such as tree identification, maple identification and knowledge, heavy equipment operation, tree felling and forestry. The students also competed in traditional woodsmen’s contests. Awards were given for students who placed in the top three in their respective events, and Paul Smith’s College also included scholarships to their college for $1500, $1250 and $1000 for these place winners.
Harrold Campus students placed in the top three of seven different contests, including three first place winners. First place in the Bulldozer Backfilling competition was senior Larry Meeker from Afton, first place in Excavator Operation was junior Justin Hogancamp from Afton, and senior Connor Derr from Unatego won the Maple competition. Also placing from the Harrold Campus was Morgan Barnes and Landon Ruling, 2nd and 3rd in Maple, Robert Black, 3rd in Tree Felling, Alexes Sousa and Robert Black 3rd in Peavey Log Roll, and Jacob Butts and Alexes Sousa, 2nd in Crosscut Saw. Connor Derr and Gavin Gifford took 3rd place in the Team Fire Build contest.
Pole Campus students placed in the top three of six different contests, including a first place winner. Joe Thomsen took first place in the Bulldozer Log Roll, Jaden Webb placed 3rd in Bulldozer Trenching, Nick Palmer placed 3rd in the Log Skidder contest, Wyatt Meade and Tanner Sullivan placed 3rd in the 2-Person Crosscut contest, Riley Jones placed 2nd Log Scaling, and Kelcie Tefft placed 2nd place in the Female Pulp Throw.
The students were accompanied by teachers Tim Crumb, Jake Sweet and Braeden Williams from Pole Campus and Zack Whittaker, Nanette Latourette, Amanda Larsen and Ken Larsen from Harrold Campus.