Fall 2011
In This Issue
Range is Back! - Update from the Program Lead
Range Club Students Honored with University Award
Vandal Pride at SRM - Students Bring Home Honor to Idaho
Rangeland Center Faculty Updates
Kendra Moseley Honored With 2011 CNR Alumni Achievement Award
Western National Winners New to Campus
Lost Resource: Professor Harold Heady
Made in the Shade: Costa Rica Sabbatical Cultivates Positive
Environmental Stewardship
Vandal Social at SRM 2012
Working Hands of the Rangeland Center
Alumni Updates
Range is Back!
I got up this morning and walked out into a bright cold autumn day – a
sure sign that Fall is back! Some summers are hard, some are fun and
easy… but, we can always rest assured that fall will return.
As I reflect over the past few years, seasons have come and gone, Deans
have come and gone, Departments have come and gone. Through all these
recent changes the rangeland program hunkered down and slipped into the
recesses of these hallowed University halls. But, just like fall that
returns at the end of every busy summer – Range is Back!
This last year brought several achievements and developments that make
it clear that the study of rangelands is thriving and as strong as ever.
The new U-Idaho Rangeland Center was officially recognized as a University
Center in August 2011. A letter from the U-Idaho Vice President for Research
simply stated that our proposal to become a center was reviewed and “All
reviewers recommended that the Rangeland Center be approved as a Level 2
Entity.” That means the rangeland program at the University of Idaho
will once again have a sign on our door, a line in the phone book, and a
site on the internet that proclaims “Rangelands.” We chose a simple
name, the U-Idaho Rangeland Center, for a place that will unite students
and faculty from across campus and connect us with people who manage and
love rangelands across Idaho and the region.
Another great development on the rangeland front is an increase in the
number and quality of students attracted to study rangelands. A fall semester
tally showed that 53 undergraduate students
selected rangeland ecology and management as their chosen degree. This
is the highest enrollment of range students in more than 35 years! As
you will see in the following pages, these students are truly
outstanding in their “can-do” attitude and high academic achievement. We
look forward to helping these students learn about and explore
rangelands. The future of our beloved rangelands will be safe in their
hands.
Thanks to everyone who has cheered us on, sent us checks, opened your
houses to our students, sent announcements of summer jobs, baked
cookies, bought greeting cards from the range club, and a thousand other
gifts of time and treasure. The rangeland program is back, in a new
form, with newly shined boots ready for what the future holds. Follow
our progress at: http://sites.google.com/site/rangelandcenter/, or learn
more about rangelands at: http://www.uidaho.edu/range/.
Steady On,
Professor Karen Launchbaugh
Rangeland Center Director
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Range Club Students Honored with University Award
Sheer innovation and hard work is what brought recognition to members of
the University of Idaho Range Club. They were honored with the Program
of Excellence Award at the Student Achievement Awards in Leadership and
Service ceremony, held April 2011 at the University of Idaho.
 The Program of Excellence Award acknowledges student organizations that
go above and beyond to offer quality programs and events. “We are so
impressed with this group of students who worked diligently and
strategically to come up with unique ways to raise funds to get students
to Billings,” said their club advisor, Lovina Roselle. With a
fundraising goal in mind, they set their sights and were able to help 18
students attend the Annual Meeting of the Society for Range Management
(SRM) in Billings, Montana in February.
One event that is really gaining attention across campus – and a
favorite for club members – is the annual barn dance. For the past four
years, the Range Club has hosted this fun event, featuring homemade
Dutch-oven desserts, dirt floors, and country music. It is held each
fall at the livestock pavilion on campus. They get more creative with
their advertising efforts every year – this year using sidewalk chalk in
high traffic areas across campus, hanging signs in building hallways and
stairwells, and even creating a Facebook event page that reached over
500 people. These innovative ideas boosted attendance to new heights.
Other fundraisers are designed to advance understanding and awareness of
rangelands. For example, the club members created and sold a collection
of common western weeds from high-quality scans of herbarium specimens
in cooperation with Professor Tim Prather and the Erickson Weed Lab. They also
sell herbarium specimens of common western rangeland plants to high
school teachers as study materials for students preparing for the state
and national FFA rangeland career development events.
While the Range Club raised funds to attend the SRM
annual meeting, members showed their caring and generous spirit by using
some of the hard sought funds to support fellow students who suffered
tragedy during the school year. Members also served the university
community through many activities such as hosting a booth the Earth Day
carnival, Vandal Friday, the Get Involved Fair, and the College of
Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) Welcome Back BBQ. Members also
served in leadership roles in the Student Affairs Councils for the
College of Natural Resources and CALS and volunteered to help with the
ASUI elections booth.
If you want to follow what the Range Club is doing throughout the school
year, check out their
facebook page or
website. Look
for great
showing of University of Idaho range students in Spokane for the 2012
Society for Range Management (SRM) annual meeting!
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Vandal Pride at SRM – Students Bring Home Honor to Idaho
Winning a trip to Washington D.C. was not what she anticipated after
competing in the Undergraduate Rangeland Management Exam – or more
commonly known as the URME – at the SRM annual
meeting last February. Julia Workman, a sophomore from Grangeville,
Idaho, won first place out of nearly 200 undergraduate students
competing from 26 universities across North America.
 Julia was on a team of 12 students from the University of Idaho who
brought home a third-place team award. It was a proud day for
the University of Idaho as we shared the honor of our students' high
achievements at the SRM annual meeting for a second year in a row (they
won first place in the Rangeland Cup and second in Student Chapter display in
2010). URME team members included: James Boggan, AJ Flint, Lee Holtom,
Caleb Howard, Andrew Huber, Brooke Jacobson, Mike Johnson, Colby Lord,
Cinda Mattrocce, Danny Romano, Julia Workman and Conner White.
Coached by graduate student, Ben Wissinger, team members prepared for 12
weeks during the fall semester.
Taking a break from her seasonal position with the USFS in
Grangeville, Julia spent a full week in June meeting with BLM, USFS, and NRCS employees. “I learned about the unique challenges each
agency faces in fulfilling its particular function on public and private
lands, and I met many of the agency people making far-reaching decisions in
the world of natural resources.”
 “All the staff members I met, including the acting
director of the
Forest Service, Ralph Giffen, were helpful and encouraging as they
inquired about my school work and future plans and gave me advice on
career options,” Julia says. In between meetings, she was able to take
in some of the sights, including a tour of the Capitol Building after a
meeting with Senator Jim Risch.
“It was a fascinating trip that offered me a new perspective on many of
the issues in rangeland management and the careers in this field. I am
thankful for the opportunity to have taken the trip and met all the
wonderful people who helped make it such a success,” says Julia.
Julia was hosted by Annette Joseph, a Forest Service Grazing Management
program manager and SRM member.
Congratulations to Julia and the other students who did an outstanding
job representing the University of Idaho rangeland program in the
student conclave events in Billings! Be sure to cheer on our Idaho
students on as they compete in five conclave events in Spokane!
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Rangeland Center Faculty Updates
 Any recent graduates from the University of Idaho range program have more
than likely taken a class from Eva Strand at some point during their
college career. Eva spent many years teaching GIS-related courses and
managing the spatial computing lab for the College of Natural Resources
and has also become nationally recognized for her research in aspen
communities. College budget cuts eliminated funding for these
responsibilities, so Eva took on a new position as an outreach specialist
for the National Interagency Fuels, Fire, and Vegetation Technology
Transfer (NIFTT) program. Her new role is strongly aligned with the
mission of the Rangeland Center as she works to develop new courses in wildland fire management intended for agency employees. She continues
to be a leader in aspen research and will be chairing an aspen symposium
at the 2012 SRM annual meeting in Spokane, Wash.
 J.D. Wulfhorst is a professor of rural sociology in the
Department of Agriculture
Economics and Rural Sociology in CALS.
His expertise with survey research and rural demographics makes him a
valuable partner in the Rangeland Center. J.D. teaches courses taken by
many range majors and is the team leader for a new interdisciplinary
team of graduate students whose projects will focus on the social and
ecological systems in sagebrush communities. J.D. has served as the
Idaho Section SRM president and is co-chair of the 2012 SRM annual meeting
to be held Jan. 29 to Feb. 3 in Spokane, Wash.
 Kelly Crane served as a professor and
rangeland extension specialist
for the University of Idaho since 2008. In August, Kelly left Idaho to
start a new position as the associate director of University of Wyoming
Cooperative Extension in Laramie. Kelly has been an instrumental team
player in developing the new Rangeland Center at the University of Idaho
and did excellent work with his rangeland research and education
programming efforts in Idaho. We wish him the best of luck in his career
and thank him for his service to our stakeholders and the University
community.
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Kendra Moseley Honored With 2011 CNR Alumni Achievement Award
Written by Sue McMurray, College of Natural Resources
marketing &
communications coordinator
The 2011 College of Natural Resources Alumni Achievement Award was
presented to Kendra Moseley, a regional ecological site inventory
specialist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service in Portland,
Ore. This award recognizes a college alumna who has graduated within
the past 10 years and who has an exceptional career record thus far with
indications of continued outstanding attainment in the future.
 Kendra’s career goal is to provide land users and managers an
understanding of the ecological dynamics of natural and managed systems.
She oversees the development of ecological site descriptions that
illustrate and connect ecological site characteristics, natural
disturbance regimes and management activities to the landscape. These
descriptions assist land managers and scientists to manage their risks
and make good decisions for the sustainability of the land and their
economics.
Kendra’s career has focused primarily on research and education
regarding the health and sustainability of rangeland systems but has
broadened to include all natural lands, in order to better educate land
users and managers. She feels strongly that understanding natural
landscape functions and ecological processes, including climate,
hydrology, soils, vegetation and natural and human-caused disturbances,
will ensure that land management and restoration can be done at the most
current and informed level of science and understanding. She believes
that this will provide long-term benefits to the environment, to
wildlife, and to the people attempting to live off the land and do right
by the land. Her expertise in developing the standards and protocols
necessary for ecological site concept and description development is
influencing both the national and international communities that are
working to describe, understand, and manage these landscapes better.
Since becoming an ecological site specialist, Kendra has become
nationally recognized as a leader in ecological site concept and
description development, particularly in the field of rangeland systems.
Kendra has been asked to speak at several national workshops and
conferences and most recently published two articles in Rangelands and
spoke as an invited guest in Argentina at the International Range
Congress. Kendra is proud of being a member of SRM, because they contribute to what she most enjoys about her
job, which is educating and working with land managers to solve the
challenges they face in managing natural systems into the future.
Kendra graduated with two degrees from the University of Idaho College
of Natural Resources. She received her bachelor’s degree in rangeland
management in 2002, and her master’s degree in rangeland ecology and
management in 2004. Kendra lives in Portland with her husband, Scott and
their dogs, Sophie, Keely and Chloe.
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Western National Winners New to Campus
Did you see that belt buckle? There are two new students on the campus
this semester, each proudly wearing a custom belt buckle they won as the
Top Hand Award for their first place win in the Western National
Rangeland Career Development Event (CDE).
These two outstanding students are Jesica Lowe, first-place winner at
Elko, Nev.; a recent graduate of Shoshone High School, and Joseph
Hale, first-place winner at Twin Falls, Idaho; a recent graduate of
Rigby High School. Both students are interested in obtaining rangeland
ecology and management degrees from the University of Idaho.
 They share a passion for range which came from very unique experiences.
Jesica says, “My love for range came when I took an agronomy class in
high school, and my teacher told me I should learn about plants and compete in
the state CDE.” After that, she fell in love with the idea of working and
learning about range. Joseph says, “My interest in range came when I
won a soils contest in Burley a few years back. I felt I was good at
doing things like that and thought range would be the best choice for
me.”
When asked why they chose to come to the University of Idaho, both
Jesica and Joseph responded that they felt the University of Idaho had
the best range program and they could continue to expand their talents
in range here. The Rangeland Center is thrilled these two
nationally recognized students are here adding to our great program.
Look for great things to come from these two students in the future.
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Lost Resource: Dr. Harold Heady
Professor Harold F. Heady, a charter member and former president of the
SRM, passed away at the age of 95 on April 28, 2011 in La Grande, Ore.
 Harold was born in Buhl, Idaho, and overcame many obstacles at an early
age such as the deaths of his parents and putting himself through high
school. He entered the study of range management at the University of
Idaho in 1934, graduating as Outstanding Senior with a B.S. degree in
1938. Harold went on to earn an M.S. in forest botany and ecology from
the New York State College and a Ph.D. in plant ecology from the
University of Nebraska in 1949.
He joined the University of California-Berkeley (UCB) faculty in 1951, where
he remained for the balance of his career until retirement in 1984. At
Berkeley, he was engaged in teaching and research and several
administrative positions including associate dean, associate director of
the California Agricultural Experiment Station, assistant vice-president
for Agriculture, and director of the (UCB) Wildland Resources Center.
Harold’s primary interests centered on the ecology and management of
grasslands and scrublands in their worldwide setting. His teaching,
research, and consulting activities took him to 23 countries, with the
concentration of work in Africa. Heady wrote more than 170
scientific and professional publications and is most well known for his
textbook entitled “Rangeland Ecology and Management” co-authored with
Dennis Child.
Harold received numerous awards and honors for the achievements of a
long and distinguished career. The SRM honored
Harold with a Certificate of Merit for Outstanding Achievement in 1969,
the Fellow Award in 1977, and the Frederic G. Renner Award in 1980.
Harold was a Guggenheim Fellow and twice held Fulbright Research
Scholarships. He received the Honor Alumnus Award (1986) and the Alumni Hall of Fame from the University of Idaho (1988). In 1994, Harold
and his wife Ruth established the Heady Professorship of Rangeland Ecology
at the University of Idaho. This professorship is dedicated to the
career development and professional standing of its recipients and has
brought great honor and distinction to the University of Idaho Rangeland
Ecology Program.
Harold is remembered as a scholar, artist and great outdoorsman. He
has undoubtedly had a profound influence on our profession and on the
SRM. His achievements are celebrated, and he
will be sorely missed. Harold leaves behind his daughter Carol DeMaria
of Longview, Wash., and son Kent Heady and wife Celia of Dale, Ore.;
three grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
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Made in the Shade: Costa Rica Sabbatical Cultivates Positive
Environmental Stewardship
TThe following is a condensed version of an
article written by Sue McMurray regarding Associate Professor Lee Vierling’s sabbatical
to Costa Rica. Article condensed by Justin Olnes.
Costa Rica is famous for its gourmet coffee beans, with Costa Rican
Tarrazú among the finest Arabica coffee beans in the world used for
making espresso coffee. But there is a lot of science behind making a
good cup of coffee. As one of the most valuable agricultural commodities
in the world, the success and popularity of any one brew involves many
factors, including how and where it is grown. Though he arrived in Costa
Rica as only an occasional coffee drinker, Lee Vierling, associate
professor specializing in spatial ecology and faculty member in the
newly formed Rangeland Center, has a passion for linking ecosystem
services, like coffee production, with healthy ecological function and
sustainability.
Vierling spent a year-long sabbatical at the Tropical Agriculture
Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE), located in Turrialba,
Costa Rica, working on several projects including the development of new
techniques to measure ecosystem services.
They and collaborators from France, Costa Rica and other countries
throughout Mesoamerica painstakingly mapped the locations of coffee
leaves, branches and plants in relation to larger shade-providing trees
in order to better understand relationships between shade-grown coffee
vegetation structure and wildlife habitat. “We are searching for
patterns across the landscape that could improve the harmony between
coffee production and the benefits provided by forests,” says Vierling.br>
“The experience changed me as a person. Living internationally for a
year helped me grow professionally and gain new perspectives. Being part
of the CATIE/U-Idaho team was richly rewarding and enhanced the
excellent collaborative relationship that currently exists between our
two institutions.”
After returning home, he plans to use his improved Spanish skills to
better relate and communicate with current Idaho graduate and
undergraduate students for whom Spanish is the native language.
The complete article can be found in “Celebrating Natural Resources,” a
College of Natural Resources alumni magazine, due out in January.
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Vandal Social at SRM 2012
CCome join the University of Idaho Rangeland Vandals, past and present,
for an evening of socializing and celebration! This event will be held
during the 65th Annual Meeting of the Society for Range Management.
Located at the Spokane Convention Center, the social will take place on
Tuesday January 31st from 5:30 – 7 p.m. Beverages and appetizers will
be served.
 This is the perfect place to catch up with professors, students, alumni
and supporters of range at the university. Come see old friends and meet
the new faces of those in the rangeland program. Also attending the
social will be the CNR Dean, Kurt
Pregitzer, as well as John Hammel, Dean of CALS.
A large focus of this event is to celebrate the official launch of the
U-Idaho Rangeland Center. We will be highlighting the accomplishments
and awards of our graduates and alumni, including research and travel
experiences. Bring your friends, family and those who have a passion
for range and rangeland education. Don’t miss this opportunity to enjoy
the company of the best peers that the University of Idaho has to offer.
For more information, or if you are interesting in helping with this
event, contact Lovina Roselle at 208-885-6536 or email
lovina@uidaho.edu.
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Working Hands of the Rangeland Center
WWritten by Sue McMurray, College of Natural Resources
marketing &
communications coordinator
Prospective range majors need not be old hands at plant identification,
computer applications, public speaking or land management skills to be
considered for a paid internship position at the newly launched
Rangeland Center. Open only to range majors, the internships teach
students these and other vital skills they will use in their future
careers as rangeland professionals. Interns field questions from
callers, provide outreach to schools, develop resources and coordinate
events – all related to the study of rangelands. br>
“The interns are the hands of the center,” says Karen Launchbaugh,
rangeland professor and Center director. “Engaging students in
real-world rangeland issues is the way we do business.”
 TThe interns work on projects as a group and individually. Several
interns coordinated a tailgate barbecue to raise awareness about the
Center and helped behind the scenes with the state FFA Rangeland
Assessment Career Development Event in Burley in October, giving FFA
chapters across Idaho a chance to practice their skills and interact
with agency professionals.
Additionally, the interns are building the framework of an online
rangeland exploration module geared for high school and college
students. Intern Connor White is updating “A Backpack Guide to Idaho
Range Plants” with color photographs and learning valuable plant
identification skills in the process.
“At first I took the job for the money, but now I am passionate about
spreading rangeland education to people of all ages.” says intern Brooke
Jacobson.
Funded by the Rangeland Center Development Fund, interns earn $7.50 per
hour and average 10 hours a week. Interns may have the position until
they graduate. The five current interns are: Allison Flora, a freshman
from Gooding; Brianne Lind, a sophomore from Challis; Jacobson, a
sophomore from Billings, Mont.; Justin Olnes, a junior from Boise; and
White, a sophomore from New Plymouth. Keep updated about their work by
"liking" their
facebook page.
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Alumni Updates
 Robert Garcia - Robert graduated in May 2002 with an M.S. in Rangeland
Ecology and Management under Karen Launchbaugh. He is currently a
rangeland management specialist for the north zone of the Sawtooth
National Forest. It includes the Sawtooth National Recreation Area
(SNRA) and
Ketchum Ranger District. He started his range career in 1999 and has
managed range in Montana, Arizona and now Idaho. His current position
offers him a chance to manage sheep allotments and the district weeds
program, which he also managed while in Montana. His wife is the deputy
area ranger for the SNRA, and they have two young, lively, energetic
dogs whom they recreate with during their downtime. His current focus is
to partner with educational institutions and conservation entities to
help provide Idaho's youth with rangeland management experience through
employment and volunteer opportunities.
 Curt Yanish - Curt graduated in 2002 with a M.S. in
rangeland ecology
and management under Steve Bunting. He is currently a rangeland
ecologist and vice president of Aster Canyon Consulting, Inc. located in
Pinedale, Wyo. His consulting work has provided a broad array of
experience relating to rangeland management and restoration, hazardous
waste management, military service, humanitarian recovery efforts, and wildland urban interface fire protection.
 Aubrey Woodcock - Aubrey graduated in 2008 with a B.S. in
rangeland ecology and management, and a minor in fire ecology and
management. She currently working for the Idaho NRCS as a District
Conservationist in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Prior to this position, she was a
rangeland management specialist with the NRCS in Montpelier, Idaho since
early 2009. She is the current treasurer for the Idaho Section SRM and
the volunteer coordinator for the Spokane 2012 SRM annual meeting. In
her spare time, she enjoys steelhead fishing on the Clearwater River and
spending time with loved ones and she also enjoys camping, hiking,
reading, and traveling. Her most recent travels took her to Hawaii last
December. With the winter months coming, and being in North Idaho, she
plans to take advantage of getting back into skiing, and her newest
outdoor love, snowshoeing!
 Will Black - Will graduated in 2011 with a B.S. in both
rangeland
ecology and management and wildlife resources. He is currently a foreman
with Blue Sky Construction, located in Nampa, Idaho, and he also helps
out "the in-laws" on their ranch in Horseshoe Bend every chance he can
get. Will was a non-commissioned officer in the U.S. Army and has been
married to his wife, Holly, since 2009. He hopes to someday run his own
ranch and has been busy developing plans for his farm/ranch enterprise.
He and Holly recently traveled to Namibia in southwest Africa to visit a
friend, Sakkie van der Merwe, who stayed with his family when he visited
the U.S. 20 years ago. While there, they had the opportunity to see a
variety of wildlife, vegetation, geography and ethnic groups.
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We would love to hear about your life and rangeland career adventures
Please drop us an e-mail at: 4range@uidaho.edu. |
