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Welcome to the web site of High Plains Range Camp. The
camp is next scheduled for June 16-20, 2008. If you need an application or
information about applying to attend the camp this June, see the "How to Apply"
page. For any other questions about the camp, please use the
contact information at the bottom of this page.
Mission
| To provide an opportunity for high school students to
increase their knowledge and appreciation of rangelands, wildlife, and
natural resources in order to become better stewards of the land. |
Background
In the early 1990s a week-long summer camp known as the Oklahoma Range &
Wildlife Academy was started near Stillwater, Oklahoma. It was held annually,
providing high school students with an opportunity to learn about land,
wildlife, and natural resources management. In 2001, the camp was moved near
the town of Kenton in the Oklahoma panhandle and became Black Mesa Ecological
Academy. The focus of BMEA was the same as the original camp, but had the added
goal of serving students in the five-state area of Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado,
New Mexico, and Kansas. In 2008, the camp was renamed High Plains Range Camp
and was reorganized to be held bi-annually. Up to ten students from each state
are selected to attend the camp.
Students receive intensive training on subjects that include range and wildlife
management, conservation planning, plant identification, water quality issues,
conflict resolution, and leadership skills. Hands-on activities include
exercises in determining stocking rate, wildlife habitat appraisal, and plant
utilization. These and many more topics are integrated into land management
plans prepared by the students using technology such as global positioning
system and geographic information system. Throughout the week, students learn
about rangelands of the five-state area through visits to several local
ranches and historical sites. Field trips also introduce students to
different landowners and the various management decisions they face based on
different land management objectives.
Camp staff includes members of the Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and
Texas Sections of the Society for Range Management, personnel from USDA Natural
Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Oklahoma State University, Oklahoma
Department of Wildlife Conservation, New Mexico Department of Agriculture, New
Mexico Cooperative Extension, United States Forest Service, several Conservation
Districts, as well as local ranchers. Additional staff selected from the five
states will include animal scientists, historical re-enactors, tourism
specialists, and others with expertise in rangeland related issues.
Our goal is for students to gain an appreciation of natural resources, learn the
value of being good land stewards, understand the importance of making wise
management decisions, and to learn something they can take home and share with
others. All teaching is done in a participatory learning environment, and we
encourage more doing than talking! Students should leave the camp tired, but
with a head full of new ideas and experiences, and possibly a desire to pursue a
career in some aspect of natural resources management.
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