Tarleton State University (TSU) and Fossil Rim have once again come together to educate tomorrow’s conservation professionals. This time it was for a new field camp experience hosted by the school’s Department of Wildlife and Natural Resources, in conjunction with team members from multiple departments at Fossil Rim.
Dr. Luke Linhoff, Assistant Professor and Zoo Husbandry and Management Coordinator at TSU, headed the team, welcoming over a dozen students who spent a week living and learning on Fossil Rim property. The purpose of this field camp, says Dr. Linhoff, is to provide students in the department with hands-on experience they can’t gain in a traditional classroom. While this isn’t the first camp the department has run, this is the first one focused on mammal care, particularly with large hoofstock. In addition, students shadowed members of Fossil Rim’s Environmental Engagement and Marketing teams, trying their hands at conservation tasks beyond direct animal care.
To earn a spot, students first had to apply. Although the camp was scarcely advertised, Dr. Linhoff says they received over 40 applications. Of these applicants, most were juniors and seniors. Some already had basic experience, and others were looking to use this opportunity to dip their toes in. Picking the dozen or so who made the cut was a challenge, he says. Final choices were made based on the students’ answers to questions about why they want to work in the field, and who the department thought would benefit most from the experience.
Caitlyn Jones, a wildlife pre-veterinary major was part of the group of students selected. She says that getting to see the inner workings of a facility like ours was eye opening.
“It’s been interesting to see how much hard work goes into running a facility like this smoothly,” said Caitlyn. “Getting to hear the staff’s stories and why they love this field has grown my own love for this work.”
This project is part of an ongoing revamping of the Department of Wildlife and Natural Resources, which Tarleton hopes to build into one of the most comprehensive wildlife curricula in the country. By exposing students to different fields within the industry, and encouraging hands-on learning throughout their degrees, Dr. Linhoff says he hopes to build graduates with strong practical skills, passion, and an understanding of their options.
“There are a lot more options in the zoo world other than a basic keeper,” he says. “It takes a village to keep a place like Fossil Rim running, and the camp was successful in encouraging students to pursue new opportunities.”
Following the success of this field camp, the plan is to eventually host more, both at Fossil Rim and other facilities, that can focus on unique specialities, like avian or marine animal care. For now, Dr. Linhoff is happy with how this run turned out, saying that student expectations were exceeded.
“It felt like everyone from Fossil Rim came out in some form or another, and the students got to do way more than we even expected.”
We are honored to have hosted our friends from TSU, and look forward to future collaboration and success in the world of conservation.