Katy-Jane Angwin, a junior in Rangeland Ecology and Watershed Management, followed the University of Wyoming’s legacy of greatness at the 2013 Society for Range Management (SRM) conference by placing 20th out of 260 in the Undergraduate Range Management Exam (URME) portion of the contest. The yearly average on this test hovers around 50 percent, which Angwin surpassed with a score of 72.6 percent.
The URME is a 300 point test that participants have only two hours to complete. This test poses practical problems that students would face in the field, such as stocking rates and eco-regions. This test is the same one used to certify range managers.
“The fact that I scored that high and ranked in the top ten percent means I am a qualified Range Specialist now.” Angwin said of her achievement. “There are other things that I have to do to get certain levels of qualifications, but I will never have to take that exam in a practical sense again.”
The UW Range Club practices every week for this test and has produced a constant list of champions built on hard work. At the 2012 contest, the team took second place overall and then-senior Sage Adkins set a new record for the URME with an 81 percent.
Besides the URME, college teams can compete in several other contests including Best Range Club Booth, Extemporaneous Speaking and the coveted Range Cup for the best poster depicting the topic allocated at the start of the academic year. This year, the theme was reclamation. Teams also compete in a range plant identification portion of the contest where club members must identify plants from the smallest of samples.
Students also enjoyed lectures presented by professionals on pertinent topics facing the range community. One topic at the 2013 convention was the management of Bromus tectorum, commonly known as Cheatgrass, and whether it is more effective to burn, graze or spray to eradicate the invasive species.
“It’s great to travel with the club and get to know people that are interested in the same things as you,” Angwin said of the club and contest.
Angwin has been nominated for the College of Agriculture’s Outstanding Junior of the Year. She plans to stay in the field of rangeland ecology after she graduates and is debating whether to go to graduate school for obtaining a Ph.D. She wants to focus on the ecology aspect of range management for her career.
“My biggest interest is the actual ecology side of range,” Angwin said. “For example, how the range land interact with the wildlife and agricultural producers. I really like seeing how the three mesh together. Wildlife is a huge part of range management. You have to manage your land to leave some for the wildlife but still have some for production agriculture. Everything needs to be sustainable.”
