Nine Sheridan College Range Club students travelled to the Wyoming Society for Range Management conference in Laramie, Wyoming, that took place from November 29-December 1. There, the students participated in competitions against students from Northwest College and the University of Wyoming and received the following honors:
Plant Identification
Second Place: Emma Talbott – Sheridan
Third Place: Jane Sylvestre – Sheridan
Plant Identification Pro-Am (Professionals randomly paired with Amateurs)
First Place: Chuck Butterfield (Pro) and Jaylee Bousman (Sheridan)
Undergraduate Range Management Exam (URME)
Second Place: William Mitchell – Sheridan College
Third Place: Paige Padilla – Sheridan College
URME Pro-Am
Second Place: Nate Nixon (Pro) & Hayden Campbell (Sheridan)
At the conference, students were also able to attend presentations from researchers, producers, and professionals about poisonous plants, livestock guardian animals, virtual fencing, and agency updates. Range Club Advisor (and Sheridan College Agriculture Program Director), Mae Smith, said that a popular discussion at the conference was about wild donkeys serving as guardian animals for sheep flocks at the Laramie Research and Extension Center, as well as another story about livestock guardian dogs saving sheep flocks from wolves in Sublette County.
According to Smith, “Sheridan College students were great representatives for the college and were able to network with professionals from across the state.” The students continue to fundraise and practice for the International Society for Range Management conference held in Sparks, Nevada, at the end of January.
