HCC Wildlifers finish third overall at 2006 Southeastern Wildlife Conclave

HCC’s student chapter of The Wildlife Society attended the 2006 Southeastern Wildlife Conclave at Tennessee Tech University March 9-12. Conclave is an annual event that brings students from all over the southeast together to represent their schools in various fish and wildlife management-related activities and competitions. At Conclave, Haywood Community College students compete against over 20 other southeastern schools including large universities such as the University of Georgia, LSU, Auburn, University of Tennessee, Virginia Tech, NC State, the University of Florida, Mississippi State, and Clemson. Competitions included an academic quiz bowl tournament, a team field competition, game calling, canoeing, archery, radiotelemetry, dendrology, obstacle course, orienteering, rock climbing, art, photography, and an essay contest. In addition, students attended wildlife-related field trips, dinners and socials, and had an opportunity to meet other students, faculty and working professionals in the field of wildlife management.


This year, 20 students and Fish and Wildlife Management Technology instructors Dave Dudek, Rick Lindsay, and Shannon Rabby traveled to Falls Creek Falls State Park in Tennessee for the event. Our students prepared for Conclave by taking on additional studies and honing their skills in fish and wildlife identification, management techniques, ecology and equipment operation. The HCC Wildlife Club is proud to be the only two-year school that attends this annual event.

The HCC Wildlife Club did exceptionally well at this year’s Conclave, bringing home twelve awards including third place overall! The overall award was achieved due to a strong showing by our students in all of the events during Conclave. Among the highlights were the awards received by Wildlife Club president Shane Billings. Shane received first, second and third place in the painting category with his exceptional paintings of wildlife in their natural settings. In addition, Shane won first place in the essay contest and will be further honored by having his essay published nationally in The Wildlife Society Bulletin! Freshman Kasey Strganac also received a third place award for her essay. Other students won awards for game calling, canoeing, free-form art, drawing, and radiotelemetry. A strong showing in the Team Field event also contributed to the club’s third place overall award.

The most exciting result occurred in the Quiz Bowl tournament. HCC students Jason Davis, Shane Billings, Jonathan Bumgarner and Sam Koch did an outstanding job in this challenging double-elimination academic tournament, defeating six university teams before losing to the University of Georgia in the championship match. During the tournament, HCC defeated teams from Mississippi State, Frostburg State, Murray State, Oklahoma State, Arkansas State and our in-state rival North Carolina State University. Shannon Rabby, HCC Fish and Wildlife Management instructor and Quiz Bowl coach, was proud of the team’s strong showing. “The competition at Quiz Bowl was fierce, and our students did an outstanding job despite the fact that they were competing against universities with graduate students on their teams. To finish second in this event is further proof that our Wildlife Management Technology program is one of the best anywhere!”

Submitted by Shannon Rabby

Thanks to Debra Davis for this posting

HCC WOODSMEN'S TEAM COMPETES IN VIRGINIA TECH WOODSMEN'S MEET
The Haywood Community College Forestry Club recently placed second overall at the Virginia Tech Woodsmen's Meet beating North Carolina State University, Virginia Tech, Virginia Tech graduate students, and Dabney S. Lancaster Community College. HCC was three points away from beating West Virginia University for first place. HCC placed first in all combined technical/academic events
Following are the placements of the HCC team members:
Volume Estimation: 1st Place-Jason Jones
Orienteering: 3rd Place-Chad Bowman
Dendrology: 1st Place-Dan Bryson
Photogrammetry: 2nd Place-Molly Lassiter
Wood ID: 4th Place-Patrick Nichols
DBH Estimation: 2nd Place-Brian Rogers
Log Roll: 1st Place-Brian Rogers and Jason Jones
Men's Cross Cut: 2nd Place-Jay Blackburn and Jason Jones
Women's Cross Cut: 2nd Place-Molly Lassiter and Brooke Banks
Jack and Jill: 2nd Place-Jason Jones and Molly Lassiter
Speed Chop: 3rd Place-Dan Bryson

Natural Resources Recruiting for HCC

Susan Roberts, Matt Delozier, and Buddy Tignor, provided information on the traditional an new on-line Natural Resources program at Haywood at the First Annual Opportunity Showcase hosted by St. Stephen's High School in Hickory. About 60 students and parents were in attendance. Principal DeAnna Taylor organized an excellent opening session and well organized exhibition hall for the attendees. The panel discussion 'When Opportunity Knocks' designed to promote awareness of two-year programs included guest speakers from the Catawba County Chamber of Commerce, Catawba Valley Medical Center, Allen Finely Advertising, Moss-Marlow Building Company, and Martin-Starnes and Associates. There was substantial interest in both the on campus and on-line course offerings.