Author: nrelwebadmin

Join us for an information session about the program on March 28 from noon – 1 PM in room 243 of the Michael Smith Natural Resources Building. Come to learn about the summer field course, the masters degree, scholarships, and applied research projects. Pizza lunch provided.

Registration is now open for the 2024 Ranch Management and Stewardship Field Course (NR 536). The course will run from July 17 – 26 and July 31- Aug 9, hosted at a wide range of ranches in southern Colorado and northern New Mexico. The course is open both to CSU students as well as those who are not CSU students. We welcome graduate students as well as junior and senior undergraduate students. More information about this class can be found on the Education page.

Four, $5,000 scholarships are available for students enrolling to begin the Western Ranch Management and Ecosystem Stewardship Masters Specialization in summer 2024. Students must apply by April 30 to be considered for this scholarship. See the Education page for more information about applying.

Researchers at the Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory have recently launched a four-year project working with Jemez Pueblo Natural Resource Department to improve management and conservation of range and water resources using new virtual fencing technologies. Funded by The Nature Conservancy, the project aims to strengthen resilience of natural resources and biodiversity in light of recent droughts.

The NASA Acres consortium is NASA’s U.S. focused agriculture program. The research team from the Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory is working with ranchers and associated organizations in the arid Western U.S. to understand the most impactful opportunities for remote sensing to support rangeland management and developing use cases for the application of remote sensing to rangeland and ranch management.

We sat down with host of the Quivira Coalition’s Regeneration Rising podcast, Taylor Muglia, to talk details of the Western Ranch Management and Ecosystem Stewardship Program and options beginning agrarians might have for further education. We discuss the Summer Field Course, the importance of learning alongside peers of diverse specialties, and how to think about the “flavors” of grad school to choose the right path for you. Access the podcast here.