Ranch Crew was an excellent opportunity that I was able to take ahold of, but I was not entirely prepared for what all it entailed. When first glancing over the flyer for it I thought that it might be working as a ranch hand for part of the two weeks, but it was not to Read more about Ranch Crew: 2018 Overview — Caleb Gray (a Uni. of WY student)[…]
Throughout our two weeks with Ranch Crew we became intimate with the Forks Ranch. Assessing ground cover and clipping grasses to measure biomass, we came to understand the natural characteristics of the ranch. We also came to appreciate the deep history of the place through our hosts Cole and Elaine Benton of Grizzly Outfitters. Cole Read more about The Forks and Fire — Brendan Boepple[…]
I had the pleasure of arriving to Sheridan, Wyoming via road trip. My father, recently retired, proposed to turn the drive into a camping trip, and he and I spent three great days traveling the plains and mountains of Utah and Wyoming. Passing through Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks, the drive was extraordinary. Coming Read more about Changing Perspectives: The Enemy is Everywhere — Reid Lewis[…]
June 2018 was Ranch Crew month for several students (including myself), Ucross members, and collaborating partners from ranch managers to plant ecologists. Ranch Crew is not necessarily what it sounds like. It is so much more than that. Ranch Crew is a two-week immersive experience in rangeland ecology, management, and last but not least…culture! Since Read more about Ranch Crew 2018: An Immersive Experience in Rangeland Ecology and Management — Lexi Smith[…]
During the first week of Ranch Crew, we discovered the joys of Plant ID – or should I say, what is joyful to some (looking at you, Rachel Renne), and painful to others. Our first task was to gather grass from a roadside in the Bighorn Mountains just thirty minutes northwest of Sheridan, WY. The Read more about Plant ID with the Ranch Crew — Katie Panek[…]
Making the plan Leading up to our rapid assessment, our team had the opportunity to sit down and talk to many professionals with varying focuses in range management. We participated in classes over varying topics. After learning from so many people we sat down to develop a plan for our rapid assessment. To develop this Read more about Writing the Rapid Assessment — Jordan Skovgard[…]
There’s more than one way to skin a cat, but as it turns out there is also more than one way to run a successful ranch. During the first week of Ranch Crew, a majority of time was spent indoors learning concepts and ideas from the esteemed Dr. Brian Mealor at the University of Wyoming Read more about More Than One Way to Ranch — Jaycie Arndt[…]
During the first week of ranch crew, we all hopped in the van to visit a ranch not far from Sheridan College. Brian Mealor, a professor at the University of Wyoming and the director of the Sheridan Research and Extension Center, walked us out into the field and spent less than a minute searching the Read more about A lesson about invasive species — Lydia Mendoza[…]
After spending a week in Sheridan, the crew took off towards Red Canyon Ranch in south central Wyoming. Iron rich, red valleys appropriately give Red Canyon Ranch its name. Owned by The Nature Conservancy, the ranch is used for testing best conservation grazing practices and research. In addition to cattle, the area is home to Read more about From Classroom to Field: A Trip to Red Canyon Ranch — Jessica Swindon[…]
Summer 2017 marked the inaugural Ranch Crew course and, despite the course’s nascency, it felt like anything but Ranch Crew’s first rodeo (although in its future form, hopefully its actual first rodeo event will be incorporated). Ranch Crew is a two-week rangeland practicum in August held across the state of Wyoming. Divided into two primary Read more about Ranch Crew Introduction — Jeremy Menkhaus[…]
Western Research Fellowship The Western Research Fellowship (WRF) is awarded annually to applicants interested in issues pertinent to land management in the Rocky Mountain West. Ideal proposals target high-impact biophysical or social questions with management implications for private land management. In addition to a financial award, fellows are given access to a broad network of Read more about Summer 2019 Opportunities[…]
August 12-27, 2017 Do you love Western rangelands? Have you ever wondered what goes into managing livestock? Are you interested getting boots on the ground and learning how to assess and advise rangeland operations? Ranch crew is a 16-day intensive practicum based in Wyoming. The practicum is split in two parts. The first part, Rangeland Read more about Ranch Crew: Applied Field Practicum[…]