As spring break opens, Utah State University hosts students from universities throughout the American West for The Wildlife Society’s 2009 Western Student Conclave March 6-9. USU wildlife science students in the College of Natural Resources, who’ve been busy all year preparing for the event, are ready to roll out the “Aggie Blue” welcome mat.

“We’re excited that the date is finally here and eager to show off our campus,” says Corrie Wallace, conclave chair for USU’s student chapter of The Wildlife Society. “With the wide variety of wildlife and beautiful scenery here in northern Utah, we think it’s going to be a memorable gathering for our guests.”

 

Meeting attendees arrive Friday evening and will participate in a choice of Saturday field trips, including Hardware Ranch Wildlife Management Area and the National Wildlife Research Center in Cache Valley, the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge near Brigham City and Antelope Island in the Great Salt Lake.

 

“At each site, we’ve arranged for wildlife professionals from federal and state agencies, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services and the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, to talk with students,” Wallace says. “They’ll not only discuss the wildlife sites but also talk about career and study opportunities in wildlife science.”

 

During the gathering, attendees will present oral, poster and art presentations and vie for traveling trophies in an academic quiz bowl, a wildlife behavioral skit competition, a wildlife calling contest and a triathlon in Green Canyon. Recreational activities include marsh birding, a trip to the Willow Park Zoo, snowshoeing and skiing at Logan Canyon’s Beaver Mountain ski resort.

 

Featured speaker at the conclave’s Monday evening awards banquet is USU alum Ben West, national outreach coordinator for the Jack H. Berryman Institute for Wildlife Damage Management, jointly based at USU and Mississippi State University.

 

“Getting ready for the conclave has taken a lot of coordination and planning,” says Craig Fackrell, USU chapter president. “We’re very appreciative of the College of Natural Resources and the Department of Wildland Resources for their support, as well as help we’ve received from the Cache Valley and campus communities.”

 

Fackrell notes that USU’s Native American Student Council and student chapter of the Society of American Foresters helped to raise funds for the event. The Logan Golf and Country Club donated their facility for the conclave’s awards banquet. The students also received cash and in-kind donations from more than 20 local businesses and foundations.

 

“The conclave hasn’t been held at USU since 2000, so we’re excited to host this year’s gathering,” says Mike Wolfe, chapter advisor and professor in the Department of Wildland Resources. “Our students and faculty have worked hard to prepare hundreds of questions for the quiz bowl, the meeting’s signature event, and get everything ready for our guests.”

 

Got no plans for spring break? There’s still time for USU students to register for conclave activities. For information, visit the conclave Web site.

 

 

Contacts: Corrie Wallace, (801) 710-9441, corrie.wallace@aggiemail.usu.edu; Gabrielle Diamond, 435-770-0918
Writer: Mary-Ann Muffoletto, (435) 797-3517, maryann.muffoletto@usu.edu

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