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Fair Book 2008 / Environmental Science

Environmental Science

Horticulture Superintendent:
Andrea Hawk
Entomology/Nature Collections Superintendent:
Diana Hatch
  1. Entry Deadline - Saturday, February 9, 2008 (Horticulture) and March 3, 2008 (Entomology/Nature Collections). All entries in all divisions must be submitted on an official entry blank available from 4-H leaders, FFA, or FCCLA leaders. All entries must be completed, signed, and turned in to:

    DCLA Youth Fair
    (Fulton’s Mtl & Hdwr)
    3100 Fort Worth
    Denton, TX 76205

    No Late Entries Accepted
    1. An individual may enter one item per class, and the entry fee is $5.00 per entry. Entry fee must accompany the entry.
  2. Dates and times:
    1. Entries are to be checked in between 3:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 26, 2008. No late projects will be checked in after 6:30 p.m. Entry number must be attached and visible on each item.
    2. Judging for all departments will begin at 8 a.m. on Thursday, March 27, 2008. The building will be closed during the judging and will not re-open until Thursday afternoon at 3 p.m. No results will be available until Thursday.
    3. Entries for all departments will be released Friday, March 28, 2008, between 5 and 6 p.m. ITEMS NOT PICKED UP WILL NOT BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF DCLA.
  3. Entries are subject to the general rules.
  4. The first place winner will receive a rosette in each class for their department and will be judged for Grand and Reserve Champion of the department in each age group.
  5. Grand Champion winners in the Senior Divisions of Horticulture and Nature Collections will receive $100 scholarships. Grand Champion winners in the Junior Divisions of Horticulture and Nature Collections will receive $50 scholarships. All scholarships will be based on number of entries.
  6. Departments
    1. Horticulture Department
      1. All plants must be living. No artificial plants will be accepted.
      2. All entries must be in the possession of the exhibitor on or before February 9, 2008.
      3. Entries will be photographed at check-in. You do not need to bring a photo with you.
      4. All entries must be grown and cared for by the exhibitor.
      5. The show will be judged in two divisions: Junior (13 and under) and Senior (14 and over) as of January 1, 2008.
      6. Plants should be dusted or wiped clean by the exhibitor before entry. No plant shine or wax may be used to gloss the foliage other than soap and water.
      7. All plants must be watered prior to entry.
      8. Plants should be insect and disease free. Any infested plants will be subject to removal from the show.
      9. The Horticulture Superintendent will resolve any questions regarding classification of entries.
      10. Entries that meet all the show rules will be placed in one of the following classes:
        Classes:
        1. Foliage
        2. Flowering
        3. Succulents
        4. Trailers / Vines
        5. Bulbs
        6. Herbs
        7. Ferns
        8. Hanging Baskets (one or more plant species)
        9. Dish Gardens (one or more plant species)
        10. Bonsai
      11. Plants will be judged according to the ideal standards for the species, with the following qualities generally considered.
        1. Size for age and species
        2. Vigor
        3. Maturity
        4. Freshness
        5. Symmetry
        6. Balance
        7. Fullness
        8. Insect damage
        9. Disease damage
        10. Mechanical damage
        11. Leaf color
        12. Flowering
        13. Other factors being equal, preference will be given to rarity of species and /or level of difficulty in growing.
    2. Entomology / Nature Collections Department
      1. Exhibits are to reflect part of exhibitor's learning experience in the entomology/nature collections project.
      2. Exhibitors may enter as many classes as they would like, but may only exhibit one entry per class.
      3. Specimens in the collection should be properly labeled for identification with both common and scientific names clearly legible, with date and location collected.
      4. Collections are to be placed in a shadow box not to exceed 24” x 36”. Dried plant collections may be exhibited in a shadow box or in a binder.
      5. Specimens in a collection may be carried over from year to year, as long as they are in good condition and mounted properly. As the project moves from one phase to another, a substantial number of new specimens should be added.
      6. Specimens in plant collections should be dried, pressed and mounted on a heavy sheet of paper of a size sufficient to accommodate the entire specimen. As many plant parts as possible should be included: foliage, flowers, roots, seeds and fruits. Fruits and seeds may be displayed in envelopes of suitable size attached to the specimen sheet. Stems should be folded and glued on the paper in a zigzag pattern to reduce the specimen size and allow the use of as small a specimen sheet as possible. Expose both sides of leaves and flowers to display as many plant details as possible. Avoid using more glue than necessary to attach the specimen. Credit will be given for neatness of presentation and specimen condition. Classes may be broken further depending on the species entered, and may include grasses, forbs, cultivated plants, wildflowers and woody plants. Only one specimen of a given species should be entered in any given plant collection.
      7. Credit will be given to all nature collection exhibits for completeness of information provided, such as where the specimens were found, date collected, site conditions, etc.
      8. Collections may consist of any number of items, but credit will be given for larger collections which have a broader and more complete representation of the class; for example, all other things considered equal, a collection of 12 wildflower specimens representing 12 different families would be judged higher than 12 wildflower specimens representing only five different families.
      9. Credit will be given for the quality of specimens exhibited.
      10. Educational entries may include exhibits showing life cycles of insects, life cycles of plants, effects of pesticides on insect pests, artistic use of insects, bees, honey, spider collections, etc. In any case, actual insect/plant specimens or other nature objects must be included. Posters, signs, and pictures may be used to supplement the exhibits. NOTE: Spiders are NOT insects, and may only be included in educational exhibits.
      11. Emphasis in judging will be placed on the overall variety of specimens represented in the collection, accuracy of identification, skill and technique acquired in mounting of specimens and overall arrangement and appearance of the collection.
      12. Classes
        1. Entomology

          Insect specimens grouped within orders.

        2. Dried Plants

          Wild flowers
          Cultivated plants
          Woody plants (trees, shrubs)
          Grasses
          Forbs

        3. Open

          Seashells
          Rocks and minerals
          Other nature objects

        4. Educational

          Must include some specimens.