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2023 TSSRM Youth Range Workshop

March 28, 2023 by jaime.sanford

Click here to view the official flyer or apply to attend!

Youth Range Workshop is an annual youth camp held in June to prepare students to be knowledgeable leaders in their communities regarding the value of rangelands, the services and products they provide, and the importance of stewardship of our natural resources. Our emphasis is on stewardship, leadership, and management of natural resources. These lessons will serve participants well in the future regardless of what career path they choose or where they live. The students spend six days of intense activity in the field and classroom immersed in activities, including:

  • plant identification and plant collection
  • studying species composition and plant community dynamics
  • conducting forage inventories
  • learning the grazing and browsing habits of livestock and wildlife
  • learning habitat management principles and techniques for various species of wildlife
  • conducting field tests to determine the benefits of vegetation on infiltration and runoff rates as well as soil erosion
  • learning about soil health
  • assisting with a prescribed burn on a local ranch
  • and how all of these things are tied together

Hands-on learning is the focus, whether collecting, assisting with an actual prescribed burn, clipping and weighing vegetation, measuring soil temperature, participating in the operation of a rainfall simulator or learning to use the latest phone app for range management.

For more information and to apply to attend, go to www.tssrm-youthrangeworkshop.com or click here!

Filed Under: Youth Range Workshop

Why I Ranch…Dr. Jake Landers

July 11, 2018 by morgan.treadwell

Dr. Jake Landers

After a 30-year career with Extension, I hope I have half the brains, sanity, and passion that my dear friend and colleague, Dr. Jake Landers possesses.  Dr. Landers set the bar pretty dang high and it is an honor to learn from him in the pasture and in the classroom.  As I said in an earlier post, Dr. Landers morphed into a Range Father of mine overnight.  The second I met him he was my hero.

Dr. Jake Landers served as an Extension Range Specialist at the Texas A & M Research and Extension Center, San Angelo in 1979.  He developed techniques and procedure for individual plant treatment of brush and prickly pear cactus for ranchers in 17 counties.  He initiated prescribed burning as a procedure for managing rangeland to reduce undesirable species and stimulate grasses.  He wrote short articles for newspapers and magazines and continued writing after his retirement from the Extension Service.  He was recognized as the outstanding person in Range by the Texas Section of the Society for Range Management in 1990 and Sustained Lifetime Achievement Award by the parent society in 2016.

Jake described himself as a gentleman rancher at best, but I beg to differ.  His Dad was in full charge until Jake was 60, and his brother Fritz assumed the duties until they divided up 20 years later. Since then Dr. Landers has helped decide when and where to graze and when and where to burn, control mesquite and pricklypear. Dr. Landers is not trying to make a profit, but he is still learning and operating by experiment.  Most of which I am convinced is adaptive management, but Jake makes it look so dang easy, fun, and effortless that it is more stewardship than anything.

How did you get your start in ranching?  I learned a lot about raising sheep, goats and cattle growing up on the ranch until I was 18. I had intended to get a degree and come home to ranch. But the drought and other interests kept me in school until I was independent of making a living  on the ranch.

How important is agriculture to your family?  Agriculture was important growing up because it was 95% of our income. Now it is important as an enjoyable experimental hobby.

What makes ranching in West Texas so unique? Speaking more of the Edwards Plateau, the mix of vegetation allows raising of cattle sheep and goats while keeping a viable white tailed deer herd for hunting.

Do you feel like there is enough emphasis on agriculture in K-12 education? Not in the least. My experience with teachers in conservation workshops indicates that most do not have an adequate background in agriculture to provide the information.

Who did you learn the most from along the way? I learned about plants mostly on my own. I learned a lot working on programs with county agents and a lot about burning from Larry White, Range Extension Specialist at Uvalde.

Filed Under: 4-H Range Contests, Brush Management, Grazing Management, Prescribed Burn Associations, Prescribed Burning, Why I Ranch, Youth Range Workshop Tagged With: Rangeland, SRM, TSSRM, West Texas

Texas Section Society for Range Management Youth Range Workshop

July 29, 2016 by morgan.treadwell

From June 26th – July 1st, I had the privilege of meeting some pretty cool kids.  Not just any kids…RANGE KIDS!  At Range Camp, 25 youth from 8th-12th grade learned about prescribed burning, stocking rates, grazing management, brush control, public speaking, and most importantly, STEWARDSHIP.  This fine group of kids blew me away with the yes ma’ams, no ma’ams, and a special creativity and magic that only kids possess.  Range Camp is always hectic, always moving, and with very little sleep so it’s not something I get super excited for, but this year’s kids went above and beyond to make it a memorable experience for the directors, TSSRM leaders, and for one another. I am pleased to announce that even though our society and this generation is driven by technology, social media, name-brands, and a urbanized way of life, for one week at Range  Camp, the world paused and we remembered that our job is to be stewards.  Stewards of the land and stewards for the youth.

Virgil Epperson and Franklin Buchholz…you two were my favorites.  Remember what you learned.  And definitely remember how to carry a drip torch.

 

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Filed Under: 4-H Range Contests, Youth Range Workshop Tagged With: Range Camp, TSSRM

5 Thing I Loved about the Eldorado-Divide Range Contest April 16, 2016

April 19, 2016 by morgan.treadwell

Last Saturday I had the pleasure of watching our District 6 and 7 4-H’ers complete the Range Contest in Eldorado, Texas.  These kids represent the very best of the best and as I watched them calculate stocking rates, forage production, and identify range plants I realized that I am so very blessed to learn from them.  I had the time of my life last Saturday because they #1) actively pursue learning about rangelands EVEN ON SATURDAY, #2) take pride in agriculture, livestock, and ranching, #3) are some of THEE most polite and well-mannered kids I have ever been around, #4) keep me on my A-Game, these kiddos are sharp, stubborn, and smart and they are not afraid to stand up for what they believe, and #5) reminded me why I am a Range Specialist 🙂

I encourage all of you to get your kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews, pretty much all kids, into a 4-H program and point them the direction of Rangeland Management, because we all know it starts in the pastures!

Congratulations to all the winners!  We will see you all again in Ozona on May 21st and Junction April 27th!

Filed Under: 4-H Range Contests, Youth Range Workshop Tagged With: 4-H, Range Contests

Texas Section Society for Range Management YOUTH RANGE WORKSHOP

March 16, 2016 by morgan.treadwell

Our Texas Section Society for Range Management 62nd Youth Range Workshop will be June 26 – July 1, 2016 at the Texas Tech University Campus in Junction, TX.  This is a very exciting opportunity for our Texas youth (14-18 years old, completed 8th grade, but have not graduated high school)!

At the workshop, participants will gain knowledge and skills in ecology, range inventory, range management, and evaluation of resources.  More importantly, we teach public speaking, advocacy, and leadership skills so that each student is equipped with the knowledge to effectively educate others on the importance of rangeland management.  I encourage you to forward the application and flyer to any youth that might be interested in learning more about stewardship of our natural resources.  Applications can be found here.  More information YRW 2016 flyer.

Filed Under: 4-H Range Contests, Youth Range Workshop Tagged With: range education, range management, youth

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