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Announcements
‘Texas 4-H Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Program Ends the 2009 Contest Season’
The Texas 4-H Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Program (WHEP) ended its annual contest season this spring. 4-H WHEP is an interactive program that teaches youth about wildlife, habitat, habitat management, and natural resources stewardship. 4-H groups meet and study in their local areas. Currently, there are two contests that these groups can attend to test their knowledge and skills against others in the program across the state.
The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo hosts a 4-H WHEP contest in March on the T&M Ranch outside of Richmond on the Brazos River. This contest is divided into two age divisions; Junior and Senior. Taking top Senior team honors and the ownership of the traveling trophy for the year was the Waller County team of Mandy Hegemeyer, Joseph Jones, and Connor King. The top Junior team was also a Waller County team of Baylee Smith, Miranda Jones, and Malorie Hegemeyer. Both top teams are coached by Harvey Laas. The top High Point Individuals were Senior Joseph Jones, Waller County, and Junior Madeline Maske, Grimes County.
Further awards were earned as follows:
Senior teams – 2nd Place Fayette County, 3rd Place Fayette County, 4th Place Washington County, and 5th Place Galveston County.
Junior teams – 2nd Place Waller County, 3rd Place Grimes County, 4th Place Washington County, and 5th Place Galveston County.
Senior Individuals – 2nd Connor King, 3rd Mandy Hegemeyer, 4th Patrick Jones, 5th Haley Woelfel, 6th Casey Lange, 7th Kasey Ullrich, 8th Codie Lange, 9th Kelley Ullrich, and 10th Lorin Williams.
Junior Individuals – 2nd Malorie Hegemeyer, 3rd Miranda Jones, 4th Baylee Smith, 5th Jakob Mielke, 6th Ryan King, 7th John Phillip Jones, 8th William Corn, 9th Austin Derkowski, and 10th Robert Brumbaugh.
Other coaches responsible for these and other contest participants include Wanda Busse, Grimes County, Laura Stone, Galveston County, Joy Nutt and Dave Redden, Washington County, and Bobby and Lanette Williams, Fayette County.
The State WHEP Contest was held in April at the Gus Engeling Wildlife Management Area (WMA) run by the Wildlife Division of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. The staff of the Gus Engeling WMA hosted this year’s event just north of Palestine. During part of the day the staff toured everyone through their wildlife management practices and the equipment used giving the WHEP group a better feel for the real work that goes into wildlife habitat management.
This year’s contest held three age divisions; Junior, Intermediate and Senior. Top Senior honors went to the Fayette County team of Lorin Williams, Codie Lange, Kelley Ullrich, and Ryan Janda, coached by Bobby and Lanette Williams. This team not only took home the Byron Wright Memorial Traveling Trophy for the year but will also represent Texas 4-H this summer at the National 4-H WHEP Contest to be held in Zwolle, Louisiana.
The top Intermediate team honors went to the Galveston County team of Jimmy Stone, Sam Clark, and Robert Brumbaugh, coached by Laura Stone. Second place Intermediate team went to the Waller County team of Miranda Jones, Baylee Smith, Malorie Hegemeyer, and Jakob Mielke, coached by Harvey Laas.
The top Junior team honors were presented to the Grimes County team of Kaitlyn Harding, Kohlton Harding, and Jonathan Biehle, coached by Wanda Busse.
High point individuals included:
Seniors – 1st Place Patrick Jones, 2nd Place Ryan Janda, 3rd Place Codie Lange, 4th Place Connor King, and 5th Place Kelley Ullrich
Intermediates – 1st Place Jimmy Stone, 2nd Place Sam Clark, 3rd Place Malorie Hegemeyer, 4th Place Robert Brumbaugh, and 5th Place Miranda Jones
Juniors - 1st Place Kaitlyn Harding, 2nd Place Kohlton Harding, 3rd Place John Phillip Jones, 4th Place Jason Stone, and 5th Place Keith Waters
Other coaches responsible for contestants of the 2009 State Contest include Kristen Greer, Anderson County.
A special thanks goes to the following for their contributions to the 2009 4-H WHEP season:
Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Junior Judging Contests Committee
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
Texas Wildlife Association
Student Chapter of the Society for Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences Department
Wildlife and Forestry Students, Stephen F. Austin State University
Henderson County Landowner Wildlife Cooperative
Wes Littrell, Assistant Manager, Gus Engeling WMA
Renae Ross, Student Intern, Texas A&M University
Look for more activities, events, and information for 4-H WHEP at wildlife.tamu.edu or www.wild-wonderings.blogspot.com or contact Larry Hysmith at lhysmith.tamu.edu.
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