Range management students attend international meeting

 Katie Whalen, Joshua Larson, Adam Deiterman, and Kristie Olmer participated in the Undergraduate Range Management Examination in addition to attending multiple sessions.

Whalen attended programs about weed management related to reclamation, pollinators’ responses to patch-burn grazing, and patterns of observed and GPS-tracked cattle in the Western U.S.

Other sessions covered a wide selection of subjects including wildlife, invasive species, mining and reclamation.

Whalen said, “It was a great experience to learn about a variety of topics in a short amount of time and to meet lots of new people from all over the country. Many of these people had fascinating information or tips that will be helpful and useful in the future.”

Kristie Olmer attended workshops addressing the impact on Western Great Plains vegetation when prairie dogs have been removed, underground plant production in Nebraska Sandhills subirrigated meadows related to grazing methods and forage production based on different grazing methods in Nebraska Sandhills meadows.

In addition, Olmer participated in the undergraduate technical papers presentations, where she co-presented "Large Herbivore Use of Riparian Areas within BLM Wild Horse Management Areas in Central Wyoming."

"Overall it was a great experience. I was able to interact with a variety of professionals from throughout the country. I was also able to participate in a practice job interview where I was given valuable feedback on my interview and resume. Since I graduate this spring, this will be very beneficial as I begin interviewing for jobs.” Olmer said.

In the past, CSC students also competed in the Plant ID and Rangeland Cup contests but this year they chose to focus on attending sessions.