September 23 - 26, 2026
Mountain Meadows Camp
Shasta Forestry Challenge
Release Forms
Facility Address:
Mountain Meadows Camp
7100 Arrowhead Road
Shingletown, CA 96088
Facility Landline
(530) 474-3143
Overflow housing at:
Elevate Camps
8071 Mineral Rd
Shingletown, CA 96088
Facility Landline
(530) 474-4896
Event Curriculum
Understand the fundamental life processes of plants including photosynthesis and transpiration.
Know the basic parts of a tree and their functions.
Understand basic ecological concepts including food webs, succession, competition, adaptation, and symbiosis.
Understand concepts associated with forests, including stand composition, stand density, and crown classification.
Be familiar with the four most common forest plant communities in California, and know their approximate ranges.
Identify with common names the following tree species without a key, and know their approximate ranges in California:
Identify specific species of trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants through the use of a dichotomous identification key. Be familiar with basic terminology related to leaf morphology.
Ecology, Botany,
& Plant Identification
Timber Cruising
& Forest Products
Know how to prepare for conducting forestry fieldwork, including clothing, safety gear, and environmental hazards.
Be familiar with the process of Data Collection.
Know how to pace a chain.
Know how to use the following forestry tools: Biltmore Stick (diameter and height), clinometer, compass, diameter tape, and angle gauge. For information on purchasing your own set of tools, see our recommended tools list. All of these tools can be purchased from Forestry Suppliers, Inc.
Interpret volume tables and site class tables using raw data.
Determine forest species composition using a 1/10 acre square or circular plot.
Interpret maps, including but not limited to township/range/section, ownership, distances/scale, directional headings, and topography.
Understand why and how forests are managed to produce timber, and what products are derived from timber.
2026 Featured Curriculum: TBA
2026 Focus Topic: TBA
Additional General Resources
Make your own Biltmore Stick using this Biltmore Stick Template
Event Schedule
Day One
Welcome to camp
Registration4:00pm
Dinner5:30pm
Welcome6:45pm
Focus Topic Question Presentation7:00pm
Social Time8:30pm
Report to Cabins10:00pm
Day Two
Training & Field Study
Breakfast8:00am
Field Training Meeting8:45am
Field Training Sessions9:00am
Lunch12:30pm
Data Collection Field Trip1:30pm
Dinner5:30pm
Presentation Work Time & Ask a Forester6:30pm
Report to Cabins10:30pm
Day Three
Testing & HELO site visit
Breakfast8:00am
Field Testing Meeting, Split into 2 groups8:45am
Group A
Field TestingLunchHELO Site VisitGroup B
HELO Site Visit9:00am
Lunch12:30pm
Field Testing1:30pm
Pacing Contest and Group Photo5:30pm
Dinner5:30pm
Presentation Work Time & Ask a Forester6:30pm
Report to Cabins10:30pm
Day Four
Presentations & Awards
Breakfast7:30am
Teams pack up cabins8:00am
Teams give presentations9:15am
Judges Panel Feedback to Students11:15am
Awards11:30am
Lunch and Farewell12:00pm
For Teachers
We want to make it easy for you to bring your students out into the forest. That’s why our program is 100% FREE.
Are transportation or substitute teacher costs a barrier to attending? We can help. We can accommodate reasonable requests through our Substitute and Transportation Reimbursement program.
Need help with the subject matter? We can connect you with one of our many volunteer Mentor Foresters, working professionals who will take time out of their schedule to meet with you and your students to train the tools that we will be using in the field.
Your students can earn a college science credit for participating in our event, thanks to our partners at Feather River College.
We have scholarships available to our alumni who pursue a career in forestry.
the Links you need
How to attend
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This is how we know you want to attend. Pre-registration is free and comes with no obligations. If you haven’t yet, you can pre-register here!
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We know that taking a field trip can mean a lot of paperwork, and districts can have all kinds of requests. We recommend you file early and get everything in place. If there’s anything you need help with, reach out via email, we’ll see what we can do!
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Attending students don’t have to be from the same class, year, or even in one of your classes. Any limitations you want to put on that are up to you. Only bringing students from your FFA or APES course is perfectly fine, and so is bringing any students from your school that show interest.
If you have more interest than you can accommodate, we suggest having the students do an extra assignment to get into the team, we suggest a quiz based on the curriculum detailed above.
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We will be traveling off site during the event to visit our field study location as well as the Shasta College Heavy Equipment Logging Operation (HELO) site. Because of this, we need you to drive your students from one place to the next. We strongly recommend that you travel by either van or SUV.
If you need funding assistance for travel, we can accommodate reasonable options with our Substitute and Transportation Reimbursement program, just fill out the form.
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Have meetings with your teams, go over the curriculum, and meet with one of our Mentor Foresters. We have volunteer foresters ready to meet with you and your students, talk about their career and what they know, and give a professional’s input on the materials your students need to know!
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Registration is how we confirm wo is coming. We will be in contact with everyone on our pre-reg list in the weeks leading up to the events to work towards our final numbers, get you the release forms you need, and provide any updates about the event, but Registration will only open a few weeks before the event itself. This is where you will tell us who is coming, and anything we need to know about them like dietary needs, medical concerns, and any other accommodations that may be needed.
There is a $250 refundable deposit per school that will be refunded with 75% attendance and no dropped teams.
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We can’t wait to see you at camp! On the day of, plan to arrive between 3:30 and 5:30. We will need everyone in your group to join us at check in, with your release forms in hand. We will check that everything is in order, hand out t-shirts, and set your students up with a set of our loaner tools.
Our program is supported by CalFire, Private Industry partners like Sierra Pacific Industries and PG&E, and Universities including Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly Humboldt, and UC Berkely along with several community colleges, not just financially, but also through countless volunteer hours, because they all believe that our program has proven to be one of the most effective ways to grow the next generation of foresters and resource management professionals that will help restore and keep our California forests healthy, productive, safe, and enjoyable for decades to come.