Kasey DeAtley, Chico State Assistant Professor in Animal and Range Science, with grant funding from the US Department of Agriculture, collaborated with Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo on a research project focused on how to deliver sustainable rangeland management training.
This effort engaged undergraduate students in applied research, allowing participants from both campuses to attend a week-long training workshop. The team hopes to develop the next generation of rangeland management professionals.
The research involved undergraduate students and contained three objectives. The first objective was to create a three-unit course at both colleges to engage students interested in rangeland science, management and applied research. The second objective was to determine stages and nutritional values of grasses typical of California rangeland. The third objective was to develop a 5-day intensive hands-on rangeland training workshop for both colleges.
With the help of Chico State Enterprises, this project was a success for DeAtley and everyone involved. DeAtley said that CSE was involved in every aspect of the project from start to finish, informing her about the availability of the funding, the proposal documents she needed to write, how to compile the budget, and helped her with communications with Cal Poly. The process to get everything completed took almost seven months. Once the grant was awarded, DeAtley also appreciated the assistance of her CSE grants analyst, who helped with the day-to-day management. “The key to success is working on these relationships,” said DeAtley.
