During the week-long camp, outdoor classrooms were the setting for campers to learn about rangeland concepts with opportunities to use that knowledge in a teambuilding setting.  All classes were taught by rangeland professionals from across the state – this generation of land mangers teaching the next generation of land managers about the importance of Montana’s largest natural resource. Campers began by learning valuable plant identification and anatomy skills they will use to identify Montana’s important rangeland plants. Campers attended 4 outdoor classes to learn about water & riparian, soils & geology, rangeland monitoring and wildlife and livestock grazing management. Campers were presented with a ranch problem and worked in teams to develop a solution; gaining valuable sills in teamwork.  Each team presented its solution to a panel of judges at the end of the week.  Also this year, experienced campers with range experience offered an optional 400 level range class that offered a more challenging range project to work on throughout the week. These experienced campers functioned as mentors to the less experienced teams working on their ranch problem. Experienced campers gave their own conclusions to the 400 level project at the end of the week.

Although the camp is a serious learning environment, many fun activities were scheduled, including an archery class, searching for buried treasure in a GPS treasure hunt, a paintball tournament, a visit to Pompey’s Pillar on the Yellowstone River, and attending the annual dance the last night of camp.

Scholarships are available by contacting your local conservation district. 
Additional assistance and help is being provided by:

Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Montana State University Extension

Visit the Montana Youth Range Camp website for all information related to this year's camp at Hysham, and attendance applications. Or, contact Heidi Olbert, the Rangeland Program Coordinator for the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation at (406) 444-6619.