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Camelids are naturally occurring species all over the world. They have homes on multiple continents, spanning from South America to Asia. Many of these hard working animals have been domesticated for millennia, but still have pockets of wild species. In South America, the domestic camelids are made up of the Alpaca and Llama. They serve similar purposes, but there are differences. Alpacas are primarily raised for their fiber. Their wool is very soft and a strong insulator, ma

On December 11th, the University of Idaho Range Club hosted our annual Christmas on the Range potluck and raffle fundraiser. Thanks to the generosity of Latah and Whitman County’s local businesses, who donated raffle items, we earned nearly $900 towards accommodation and registration fees for SRM 2026. Club members also brought their A-game to the potluck, and we served about forty members of the range, fire and forestry department a full holiday meal that included ham, mac n

As part of our organization’s ongoing commitment to community service and career networking, the Range Club has had the privilege of volunteering on ‘restoration days’ with the Whitman Conservation District in Colfax, Washington. The Whitman Conservation District primarily works with local farmers and landowners along the Palouse River to restore riparian and upland ecosystems. On November 1st, members of the Range Club were able to assist in planting native alder trees along

Image: Alaska Conservation Foundation  An often-overlooked rangeland biome, Alaskan tundra has recently taken a national spotlight in a debate between environment and economics. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge was established in the 1960s in order to preserve tundra habitat and various indigenous species in the North Slopes region of the state. While federally protected from development, it is known to contain massive oil reserves. These same oil reserves attracted the at

Pastoralists are nomadic peoples that can be found all in the arid areas of the world that are not favorable to growing crops. They raise livestock, moving them from pasture to pasture as seasons change to ensure that their herds have forage. Pastoralists have immense value on the landscape. Through their traditional mobile grazing patterns, they are able help maintain biodiversity of the lands they graze by preventing the encroachment caused by a lack of grazing. Another val

Right now, a little less than half of the land on our planet is managed and cared for by pastoralists. These vast rangelands sweeping across continents and the people that steward them rarely make headlines. 2026 has been declared by the United Nations been the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP) in hopes to highlight the value and importance of these stewards and the lands they live on.   The IYRP has a few important goals and plans laid out for next yea