July 12, 2008

Dear Contra Costa Resource Conservation District,

My week at Range Camp was so much more than I could have ever asked to experience. ….Range Camp was interesting for me because I came into it with almost no knowledge about cattle, grazing, or land management…… I absorbed every lecture and every hike because what we learned was so diverse from what I am traditionally taught….The schedule during the week was filled with everything from lectures to scat hikes to riparian studies and field trips….. The lecture speakers were some of the most brilliant speakers I have heard, and all of them differently showed their love for their field of science…..What I learned from the morning lectures could immediately be implemented into field studies outdoors…..,. They covered topics like an overview of Range Ecology and History, Soils, Geology, Technology in Landscape, Digestion and Nutrition of Cattle, Plant Adaptations to Fire, and creating an Eco Friendly Ranch.

My favorite topic covered at Range Camp had to do with plants. This surprised me because plants are often the hidden aspect of an ecosystem and we tend to focus on the larger animals which seem so much more interesting. I learned about the specific adaptations plants are able to make in order to thrive in their current ecosystem as well as the techniques they display to protect themselves from predators…. I am now able to name numerous species of flowers and grasses as well as their family, species and scientific names.

The people at Range Camp were some of the most supportive people I have encountered. More than half of the students…knew a lot of what was taught …yet all were willing to patiently explain everything to me. The person who impressed me the most, however, was our director, Marc. I don’t think, in my entire schooling career, I have had a better teacher than Marc Horney. …To have an instructor really care about whether you understand the topic and to go above and beyond really made me want to succeed. A lot of my interest in this subject is due to seeing how people like Marc love their jobs.

When I came back home, my friends asked me why I care about Rangeland Conservation. Going into the camp, I DIDN’t!  Why should I care about a lifestyle that would never be my own? From my week at Range Camp, I realized that rangeland conservation is not only for ranchers and farmers who are directly affected by cattle and plants, but everyone who is indirectly affected by the actions taken by those ranchers. …..The condition of our cattle and our grasses affects water quality, soil quality, root systems, thus the ecosystem as a whole.

Getting a chance to see how much the government affects farmers and ranchers made me realize that I could still strive to be a lawyer, businesswoman, or government official and aid rangeland efforts at the same time. Coming back home and being asked that question was simple for me to answer. I care about Rangeland Conservation because I have to. If we don’t care about the most insignificant aspects of the environment, we will soon see the larger aspects crumble before our eyes.

In February of next year, I will be going to Albuquerque to learn and compete at the national level after scoring the highest on our exams at Range Camp. This whole experience has been like none other and words are too inconsequential to explain how much my perspective on rangeland conservation and the environment as a whole has changed.

Sincerely,

Hannah Yokum