Tehabi: The spirit of teamwork
2004 Report
Tehabi is a word symbolizing the spirit of teamwork. The program’s
mission is to enhance natural resource management by facilitating an
environment where natural resource professionals, scientists, students
and communities can share experience, information and ideas to develop
creative and sustainable solutions. It includes a two- week field course
followed by a mentored, summer-long internship, and on-the-ground projects,
all with an emphasis on introducing new concepts and practices to students,
their host offices, and the communities in which they work. The program
operates from Utah State University's College of Natural Resources with
the support of USU faculty, one full-time, and one part-time staff member,
and partners from the Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service,
and non-governmental organizations.
Tehabi’s contribution to the BEHAVE consortium has been to provide
avenues for sharing research and results, and to find opportunities for
implementing behavior management on the ground. In this vein, staff have
provided technical support for web page development and teaching assistance
to increase BEHAVE’s ability to share information. In addition,
BEHAVE principles have been incorporated in the field course and summer
internship to enhance outreach efforts and to help students and community
and agency participants understand how behavior and learning affect systems. “They
soon recognize that the same principles that apply to animals and ecosystems
also operate within the individuals and organizations that attempt to
manage these processes,” say Tehabi instructors, Ben Baldwin, Ben
Bobowski, Kathy Voth and Mark Brunson. The field course also facilitates
participant development in monitoring, teamwork skills, collaborative
research, data interpretation, and GPS. In addition, they are introduced
to the value and implications of diverse viewpoints and encouraged to
recognize and question personal, societal, and institutional paradigms.
In 2004, Tehabi was successful in further developing our network of
partners and opportunities. While we met our internship goals (number
of students and quality of opportunities), we unfortunately had to turn
away both willing students and sponsoring organizations due to logistical
constraints.
The field course was held for the second time in Deer Lodge, Montana,
and benefited from relationships developed last year. Twenty-two students
participated from five universities. Over 20 guest instructors, agency
representatives, and visitors participated with the students providing
them with a wide range of experiences. Tehabi coordinated over $128,000
for direct student internships supported by CESU (Cooperative Ecosystems
Studies Units) agreements. Internships were sponsored by the Congressional
Sportsman Foundation, Bureau of Land Management, and National Park Service
(NPS) and were located in six states and the District of Columbia.
Tehabi continued to work on incorporating BEHAVE concepts in livestock
management issues in the National Parks. Five interns worked on the demonstration
project at Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site. These students worked
with Kathy Voth and Ben Bobowski to develop managerial applications of
BEHAVE principles – primarily working with cows to eat weeds. In
addition to the demonstration project, we continued to develop the NPS
livestock database. The initial work completed on the database in 2003
lead to three CESU agreements this year. Those agreements have supported
students working on NPS livestock issues including refinement of the
database, assistance in the development of a draft NPS Livestock Director
Order, and assessment of NPS livestock use.
Tehabi has big plans for the final year of the BEHAVE grant and beyond.
For FY 2005, Tehabi will continue with the internship program. Current
plans include holding the internship program at Grant-Kohrs Ranch NHS
with 20 students. We also are planning on hosting several NPS livestock
workshops incorporating BEHAVE principles. These workshops are the culmination
of the work on NPS livestock issues. During this final year we are developing
proposals to continue funding Tehabi. The goal is to utilize the success
and relationships of the past five years to develop the next phase of
Tehabi.
Highlights and Current projects:
Tehabi Field Course May 16-28, 2004
The field course, held in Deer Lodge, Montana, was successful in providing
a unique learning experience and bringing together a diverse group of
students and instructors. Twenty-two students and five instructors participated
with the field course This field course was a three-credit course offered
through Utah State University Environment and Society Dept., and was
designed to “explore the practical applications of resource principles
and theories and develop skills necessary to be an effective manager.”
The field course was carried out with the assistance of the staff of
the Grant-Kohrs National Historic Site. Students and instructors camped
out on a nearby private ranch and classes, workshops, and fieldwork were
conducted daily using the facilities at Grant-Kohrs. A variety of other
professionals and community members from the Deer Lodge Valley and surrounding
area also helped make the field course a success.
Interactions among professionals and students facilitated a unique learning
environment. Students participated in a wide variety of activities based
on the natural resource issues of the area including a long ranching
and mining history and EPA Superfund Clean up. Emphasis was placed on
cultural resources, past management actions, environmental policy and
its implications. The curriculum was refined focusing on five categories:
field skills, organization culture, public interaction, interpersonal
skills, and systems thinking.
Field Course Stats at a Glance
22 students (20 first year interns, 2 second year intern)
From 5 universities (USU, UNR, PSU, SCU, NCSU)
Four primary Instructors (Ben Baldwin, Ben Bobowski, Kathy Voth, Mark
Brunson) with two Teaching Assistants (Summer Kartchner, Garrett Boarts)
Also include over 20 Guest instructors and participants who represented
3 Federal Agencies (NPS, USFS, and BLM), 2 universities (University
of Montana, Montana Tech), private companies (Sopris West Educational
Services) and local ranchers.
Summer Internships June 1- August 13 2004
At the close of the Tehabi field course, students began internships
with the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management and the
Congressional Sportsman Foundation in six western states and the District
of Columbia. Students will work directly with their agency supervisor
to complete an intern project. In addition to this project, interns complete
weekly assignment and readings utilizing a Tehabi Intern website. Throughout
the internship, each intern works with a Tehabi mentor to further explore
and develop various assignments and topics. Students and guides met August
14-17 at Bear Lake Training Center to report on their internship experiences,
discuss applications of the tools learned at the field course and present
their final project report.
Summer Internships Stats at a Glance
22 Students Participated
Internship Sponsor Affiliations
- NGO -Congressional Sportsman Foundation
- Federal Government (Department of Interior) - Bureau of Land Management
(4 offices), National Park Service (4 offices)
7 Locations -
- 6 States (Nevada, Idaho, Montana, Arizona, Wyoming, Colorado)
- District of Columbia
Student Stipends and Fees
This past year Tehabi coordinated over $128,000 for direct student internship
support (stipends) through seven new agreements with Federal Agencies.
Six were CESU agreements, one with Colorado Plateau ($6250), one with
Great Basin (76,849), and four with Rocky Mountain ($35,000). The remaining
agreement was a cooperative agreement with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
and the BLM ($10,000). This does not include one intern that was paid
directly by the Congressional Sportsman Foundation or support for 5 interns
from a CESU already in place. An additional $19,975 was generated through
student course fees and training fees (provided by internship sponsors)
to support the internship program.
Other Student Projects
In addition to internships, three students worked on Tehabi generated
projects.
- Preparation of an Environmental Assessment for the Fire Management
Plan for Glen Canyon NRA
- NPS Livestock Use Database Development
- Livestock in National Park Units: A contemporary and Historical Assessment
for Improved Resources Management
Tehabi Highlights during BEHAVE Grant
Student Opportunities
Tehabi has provided over 70 student opportunities (internships, teaching
assistantships, research positions) during the past 3 years. These students
have come from ten different universities all over the world and have
included undergraduates and graduate students.
Partners
Tehabi has worked with internships sponsors from federal (BLM, USFS,
NPS) state (Utah DWR) agencies and an NGO (Congressional Sportsman Foundation).
These students have worked in 15 different offices in 7 states and the
District of Columbia. We have had agreements with the three CESUs (Colorado
Plateau, Great Basin and Rocky Mountain) of which USU is a partner.
Student Internships Generated with BEHAVE Grant Support
During the time Tehabi has been supported by the BEHAVE grant, $396,589
has been generated for student internships and opportunities. This amount
reflects the total amounts of direct financial support for student internship
stipends through various agreements (assistant, challenge cost share,
work orders, CESU, inter-agency). This amount does not include in-kind
support from universities or agencies, waived indirect costs, or administrative
costs for the program.
Year by Year Breakdown
2005 (FY 2004) $25,750 (YTD)
2004 (FY 2003) $128,099
2003 (FY 2002) $140,865
2002 (FY 2001) $101,875
Total $396,589
Student Fees Generated
To date, Tehabi has generated $37,400 from fees to support the internship
program. $28,745 was from student paid class fees. In addition to the
student fees, $8,655 was generated through training fees paid for by
the sponsoring agency.
Year by Year Breakdown
2004 (FY 2003) $19,975
2003 (FY 2002) $6,425
2002 (FY 2001) $11,000
Total $37,400
Wages (Staff and Teaching Assistants) Generated
To date, Tehabi has provided $26,704 for wages of staff, teaching assistances,
instructors and guest speakers.
Personnel:
Ben Baldwin
Tehabi Project
Utah State University
Ben Bobowski
Chief of Resources
Grant-Kohrs Ranch NHS
Kathy Voth
Tehabi Project
Utah State University
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