By Susan K. WIlliams Through population increases, land development and industrialization, Texas seems destined to lose a great deal of its natural inhabitants - its wildlife and their homes. The destruction of habitats, through industrialization and the exploitation of certain animals, has caused a significant decline in not only the wildlife but also in the natural habitat areas that are home to the animals of Texas. As an example, the prairie chicken, a ground nesting bird native to the mixed grass prairies of the Texas Panhandle, Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico and Oklahoma, was once common, but its numbers have steadily declined due to the alteration of its habitat to agricultural purposes. The Texas Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Project was developed to support farmers and ranchers who increased revenues from wildlife management, to curb the depletion of Texas' wildlife and wildlife habitats, as well as to ensure that enough natural lands exist for humans to enjoy nature's events.
The Houston Livestock Show responded to these concerns in 1998, with the inclusion of a wildlife habitat contest. Beginning in 1999, the new TWHEP contest will merge with what was formerly the Range and Pasture Plant I.D. Committee, one of the oldest committees of the Show. It has been renamed the Plant I.D. and Wildlife Habitat Committee, chaired by Diana Miller Seale. Contestants in the wildlife habitat aspect of this committee's activities are responsible for learning all the material in the Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Handbook, which includes information on the following: wildlife management and ecological concepts, 14 eco-regions in the United States, 68 wildlife species (including habitat preferences and requirements) and 43 management practices. The program was developed for 4-H, FFA and college students by Dr. Will Cohen of the Texas Agricultural Extension Service, which furnishes grasses and plants for the contest. The contest is divided into the following categories:
The Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Contest will be added to the Range and Pasture Plant Identification Contest and the Intercollegiate Texas Range and Pasture Identification Contest administered by the committee for the 1999 Show. Included in the program are weekend volunteer training workshops, which prepare adult leaders for teaching the project to youth. The workshops teach volunteer leaders how to coach and prepare a team for competition in the TWHEP contests. Each workshop is limited to 30 participants, who each receive a project manual and either a youth video or adult leader video to help them through the intensive 18-hour course. The contest will be held on March 6, the last Saturday of the 1999 Show. When managed carefully, the combination of natural grasslands and timely livestock grazing can create enhanced livestock nutrition and can improve the wildlife habitat. Since nearly 80 percent of the U.S. countryside is used for agriculture, it is important that individuals who want to manage and conserve the countryside have a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of both the area's agricultural products and its wildlife. With a thorough appreciation of Texas farming systems and environmentally friendly farming practices, students and landowners can learn how and where to introduce conservation practices and how to improve existing wildlife habitats, in order to maintain the ecology of the area. Most farmers are aware of their environmental responsibility but often lack information on how to farm in a more sensitive manner. The TWHEP program will bring to Texas a "new" old-fashioned way of farming and ranching. Students will learn and experience firsthand information on waste management and recycling, low-impact agriculture, soil and water conservation, and environmentally sound use of fertilizers and pesticides. How is this program relevant to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo? The program, with its dedication to education and preservation of Texas habitats, fits into the very heart of the Show - to support educational programs and institutions, to expand agricultural horizons and to preserve and honor pioneer heritages and cultures. At the 1998 Show, a trial run of the contest was held by the committee with 200 contestants registered. "This contest is a model of our commitment to the youth of Texas and their education," said John Sykes, assistant general manager, Agricultural Exhibits and Competition Department. "I so strongly believe in all of our contests because of their continuous contribution to education. Through this program, youth will learn about life skills in an area they cannot learn in a classroom." Through the education provided by TWHEP, the youth of Texas will have an opportunity to be successful in efforts to reintroduce endangered wildlife and to convert their habitats to a natural state. They will be responsible for creating areas where people can once again experience the closeness of nature. Through the program, Texas youth will learn how restoring nature will benefit the agricultural economy, will improve the quality of livestock and will increase crop production. "The exposure we receive from the Show and the maturity of the contest have really helped the program grow," said Cohen, also the contest superintendent. The benefits these students will experience are numerous, but the most important one of all is the education they will receive through programs like these sponsored by the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.
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