THE MARIPOSA FFA CHAPTER TRAVELED TO THE NATIONAL CONVENTION IN INDIANAPOLIS LAST WEEK. WHILE THERE, THE NATURAL RESOURCES TEAM PLACED 10TH IN THE COUNTRY AND THREE MEMBERS RECEIVED THEIR AMERICAN FARMER DEGREES. TEAM MEMBERS ARE PICTURED, FROM LEFT, COACH DAVE MECCHI, MEYER JAY, ROSE HOUSLER, ALISON SHIMER AND CATHERINE CHASE. PHOTO COURTESY OF KATHY CHASE The Mariposa County High School FFA natural resources team has placed in the top 10 in the entire United States. The team was in Indianapolis, IN last week competing against 35 other state champions from all over the country.

The natural resources team awards, which were announced on Oct. 24 on the final day of the convention, showed the team of Meyer Jay, Catherine Chase, Alison Shimer and Rose Housler as the 10th place finisher. The team from Pennsylvania took top honors.

Mariposa's state champion team earned gold emblem status as well. There were only 11 teams to garner the status. Individually, Chase received a gold emblem for her participation. Housler, Jay and Shimer all earned silver emblems. The team is coached by Dave Mecchi.

“I’m very proud of them,” Mecchi said after returning to California. “They did a really great job.” Mecchi’s team had two substitutions from the state winning bunch because of graduation.

He said the group didn’t expect to hear its name called in the top 10. “They were extremely surprised,” Mecchi said.

The National FFA Environmental and Natural Resources CDE is a competitive activity that allows students to apply classroom knowledge to real-life situations. This event focuses on testing students' problem solving and decision making skills in environmental and natural resources. These areas concentrate on soil profiles, water and air quality, waste management, environmental analysis, and use of global positioning units. Each team competed at local and state levels for the privilege of representing their home state at the national FFA convention.

The event, held at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., is one of many educational activities at the national convention in which FFA members practice the lessons learned in agricultural education classes.

Mecchi starts a new natural resource season this week. Competition runs from November through January. Immediately following, forestry competition begins and runs through May. There isn’t much down time for the volunteer coach.

“It never stops,” Mecchi said of the preparation, which apparently is paying off. Mariposa has had three state-winning teams under Mecchi’s guidance.

The commitment is worth it to him. “I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” Mecchi said. “It’s nice to see the progression of the kids. It’s neat to see them get the knowledge they wouldn’t normally have.”

Three Mariposa FFA members also achieved American Farmer Degrees at the convention. MCHS graduates Courtney Forsythe, Jenna Gerken and Jaret Fipps, all of the class of 2007, traveled to Indiana to receive their awards.