Usask Range Team continues to impress at international rangeland management competition

In February, thirteen College of Agriculture and Bioresources students travelled to Denver, Colorado to write the Undergraduate Range Management Exam (URME). After two consecutive first place finishes in previous years, the team continues to impress this year by receiving a hard-earned second place finish against 24 other North American universities.

Team co-captain Erin Anderson also received the highest individual score out of the 189 students writing the exam. There’s no doubt that the future of range management is bright with this hard working and talented group of students becoming young professionals in the field.

“I made connections that will follow me for my whole career,” said Anderson, when reflecting on the team. “I gained valuable rangeland management skills that I couldn't have learned in the classroom. And I got the honour of representing the U of S at an international conference.”

Anderson, who is in her final year, said she is thankful for the unique experiences she had with the team.  “I am sure I will cherish this for many years to come.”

Preparations for the exam start at the beginning of the university fall semester. Students attend weekly study sessions, in addition to their full class loads, to learn about the latest in range ecology, grazing management, range improvements, range regions, range inventory and analysis, as well as multiple-use relationships on rangelands. The team also organizes numerous fundraising events to help cover the cost of travelling to the international meeting.

The students taking up the baton for the coming years are just as determined to make a name for the team. First-year student Courtney Taylor, from a ranch near Warner, Alta., first saw the USask Range Team at SRM meetings when attending their high school youth forum.

The success of the team was what first attracted Taylor to the College of Agriculture and Bioresources at Usask. “When I came for the open house I really appreciated the breadth of agriculture programs in the college and the atmosphere that really represented ag in a positive light,” said Taylor.

Five of the team members also chose to participate in the plant identification teaching exam, where students study a collection of 200 North American rangeland plants to be tested on 100 specimens. The teaching exam provides a supportive environment for students to expand their plant identification skills. In addition to the exams, one student also participated in the extemporaneous public speaking contest.

The range team is coached by Dr. Eric Lamb (PhD) and Amanda Muller, plant ecology lab instructor in the Department of Plant Sciences.

For more information, contact:

Amanda Muller
Department of Plant Sciences
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-4961
email