NRCS Co-Sponsors Clear Fork Range Camp

Story by John Tate, USDA-NRCS Natural Resources Manager, Albany, Texas

The 17th Annual Clear Fork Range Camp had 30 students attending the three day/two night camp during July 18-20, 2006, which was co-sponsored by USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), at the Krooked River Hunting Lodge located in Haskell, Texas. The hunting lodge is owned and operated by Roy and Becky Wilson located within the 43,000 acre Hendrick Ranch that spans through Haskell, Shackelford, and Throckmorton counties.

The Clear Fork Range Camp was co-sponsored this year by NRCS, as well as several soil water and conservation districts (SWCD) for more than 15 years, including the California Creek, Andrew/Kent, Haskell, and Lower Clear Fork of the Brazos SWCDs. The Shackelford County Range and Wildlife Management Association and Cal-Shack Farm Bureau have been sponsors for the past six years. Local support for the range camp was supplied by the Kent County EMS, Jayton Farmers Co-op, and Hall Chevrolet in Jayton.

The student’s ages ranged from 12-16 years old with four group leaders (16-17 years of age), and arrived from surrounding local communities that included Anson, Albany, Breckenridge, Haskell, Jayton, and Stamford. Upon arrival, the students were divided into four competitive groups and assigned cabins. The first session included the importance of plants, and their purposes that benefit our rapidly growing population. Also, the students were told about the many state and national 4-H and Future Farmers of America range teams that had preceded them at the Clear Fork Range Camp. The groups studied and collected 35 different range plants, which they later mounted into their plant presses.

As for classes, many agriculture professionals from NRCS, agricultural science teachers, ands county extension offices instructed the students during the three-day range camp. Glenn Harding, a nationally known taxidermist, wildlife manager, and bronze sculpture artist discussed his profession to several groups. Another highlight of the camp was when the students watched videos borrowed from the Old Jail Art Center in Albany, which showed the history and settlement of the area located along the Clear Fork of the Brazos River. The second day had the students going to the Pitchfork Ranch located in Guthrie, Texas, where Ranch Manager Bob Moorehouse discussed management practices cattle, deer, horses, and quail on this highly improved ranch. Many activities during the camp brought on competition between the students, where they challenged each other in skeet shooting, the use of global positioning systems (GPS), along with a compass and pacing course.

Another educational session had the students fording the river to assemble for a plant identification contest. Thirty plants were staked, and the students had 80 seconds to identify and record the name of each plant. All the students did well with a few students identifying all thirty plants correctly. After the contest, the groups were assembled together again to announce the winners with each student receiving at least one nice prize, a cap, and a plant collection.

After writing thank-you letters to those who made this camp possible, the youngsters cleaned up the camp. More importantly, while meeting new friends and developing a greater appreciation about the importance of range plants, the students learned how plants have an important place on our great planet.

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