Forestry | Science Olympiad

Welcome to Forestry! In this event, participants will be assessed on their knowledge of trees found in the United States that are on the Official Science Olympiad National Tree List.

The information below should not be interpreted as an extension of the rules. You can find free online copies of the current rules for download on the 2023 Rules page of the Science Olympiad website. The official rules in the current Rules Manual take precedence.

Resources & Links

Rules Clarification (Issued 03/06/23)
Rules Clarification (Issued 11/21/22)
Rules Clarification (Issued 10/26/22)
Workshop Wednesday: Tree Identification with Guests from the US Forest Service - Recording Link
- Science Olympiad and experts from the US Forest Service offered this tree identification workshop on November 11, 2022. The workshop will help you prepare for the Forestry Event in both Divisions B and C, including the steps for tree identification, using a field guide, organizing your Event binder, and educational and career pathways in forestry.
- Tree Identification Workshop Slides
- Q & A Responses - Our US Forest Service Guests were unable to address every question asked during the session. They have taken the time to answer a number of questions that were submitted. Their answers are in this document
- Additional US Forest Service Resources - During the session a number of resources were mentioned. Those resources are listed in this document.
USDA Plants Database - This database from the US Department of Agriculture contains images, characteristics, and more on many different plant species, including trees, in the United States.
Treesearch Publication Database - Learn about many different tree species and how they relate to climate change, natural resource mangament, and more with Treesearch by the Forest Service. This database allows you to filter through over 59,000 different publications to find the information that you need.
What Tree is That? National Arbor Day Foundation Tree Identification Guide - The Arbor Day Foundation's interactive guide walks students through tree identification through a series of yes/no questions. Use this to test your knowledge of tree identification based on the leaves of the tree. Trees are divided into the western region and the east and central region.
National Arbor Day Foundation Midwestern and Eastern Tree List
Virginia Tech Dichotomous Keys
Virginia Tech - Basics of Tree ID
Tree ID and Tree Leaf Keys
Tree Activities - GLOBE Observer - Use these activities from the Globe Program to take your knowledge of trees to the next level.
Learn About Forests - Project Learning Tree - Use these activities from Project Learning Tree to learn more about forests. These activities are especially beneficial for middle school students.
CompassLive - Southern Research Station - Learn more about tree species, their interactions with their ecosystems, their relationships with carbon and climate change, the impacts that wildfires have on them, and more with CompassLive from the Forest Service.
The Woody Plant Seed Manual - The Forest Service's Woody Plant Manual contains information on the seeds of many trees on the National Tree List.
The Natural Inquirer - The Natural Inquirer is a free science journal for middle school and high school students. The articles touch on a variety of topics and follow the format of scientific journal articles. There are a number of issues that focus on invasive species.
Forestry Resources from MY SO