Range and Wildlife Academy Planned for Five State Region

by Marvin Watson

May 16, 2003

Natural Resource Conservation Service

The Colorado Section of the Society for Range Management (SRM) is seeking high school students to participate in the Black Mesa Range and Wildlife Academy. The Academy will be held June 22 – 27, 2003, at Kenton, Oklahoma. This Academy will be a cooperative effort among Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. Students will explore the rangelands of the five-state area. The five-day Academy provides the opportunity to learn more about range and wildlife management, conservation planning, plant identification, conflict resolution and leadership development. All these subjects are integrated using new technology such as global positioning systems and geographic information systems. Colorado high school students will be supported by scholarships from the Colorado Section SRM.

The course will be taught by members of the Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas Sections of the Society for Range Management along with personnel from USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), rangeland and wildlife conservation professionals, and Conservation Districts. Additional staff, selected from the five states, will include animal scientists, historical re-enactors, tourism specialists, and others with expertise in rangeland related issues.

"Rangelands compose over two-thirds of the state's land types in Colorado," says Marvin Watson, NRCS district conservationist. "These lands provide recreation, grazing for livestock, habitat for wildlife, and an excellent setting to teach ecological concepts to the youth of Colorado." The Academy is a fun week of meeting people, learning new skills, and spending time in a rangeland environment.

The cost of tuition for the Academy is $50 per student. This includes lodging, all meals, entertainment, and written materials. Applications for the Academy can be obtained at the Kiowa County Conservation District or NRCS offices located in the USDA Service Center at 910 Wansted in Eads. Applications must be postmarked by May 31, 2003.