The Tama County Turtles team at the National WHEP competition including (l-r) Garrett Princehouse (chaperone), Haley Princehouse (coach), Lauren Keller, Josey Wacha, and Wyatt Silhanek. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

BROWNWOOD, Texas. – A team of Iowa 4-H members brought home a fifth-place award this summer in a national wildlife habitat management competition.

The team of Lauren Keller, Wyatt Silhanek and Josey Wacha competed in the National Wildlife Habitat Education Program contest in Brownwood, Texas, July 28-31. They earned their spot in the national contest after placing first at the State WHEP Competition earlier in the summer. Haley Princehouse and Raina Genaw coached the team.

The National Wildlife Habitat Education Program, or WHEP, teaches 4-H and FFA members wildlife and fisheries habitat management through hands-on experiences. Participants learn about wildlife habitat, wildlife terms and concepts, judging wildlife habitat quality, wildlife habitat management practices and wildlife damage management.

Princehouse, ISU Extension and Outreach Tama County office and programming assistant and Tama Turtles WHEP coach said the team put in several months of work before winning the state and national competitions. “Preparing to represent Tama County and the State of Iowa for the 2024 National WHEP Contest has been a rewarding experience, with the team dedicating countless hours to studying together and individually since November.”

The three-member team from Iowa competed against 11 other 4-H teams from across the country in two main activities: a wildlife challenge and developing a wildlife management plan. In the wildlife challenge, individuals are scored on their knowledge of specific species from specific ecoregions. Youth visit stations where a wildlife specimen is presented, and questions are asked related to the species. They can be asked to identify a species via several methods, including photos, tracks, sounds or a portion of a specimen.

When youth teams write their wildlife management plan, they include wildlife management practices based on a specific site survey and a given set of land management goals. A written scenario of the specified property is provided. Teams discuss, consider and provide written recommendations that address current conditions and objectives regarding wildlife populations and habitat for the specified property. The wildlife management plan competition is subdivided into individual oral presentations with judges and the wildlife management plan written as a team.

While the youth competed, the adult chaperones and coaches took part in a coaches’ tour, visiting nearby attractions and touring the Rolling Plains Quail Research Foundation. Youth also had the opportunity to engage in various teambuilding, get-to-know-you activities, and a share fair that allowed them to present items and information about Iowa 4-H. At the share fair, each state decorates a table to share items representing their state. Youth can then visit each table to learn more about their competitors’ home state. Tama County had items from the Tama County Pork Producers and Iowa Corn.

“The WHEP program has brought together youth in Tama County, teaching them invaluable life skills beyond just wildlife identification and techniques. Through teamwork, responsibility, and time management, these young individuals have learned to navigate challenges and discover their unique study methods,” Princehouse said. “As a coach for the Tama County Turtles team, I have been proud to witness their growth and enthusiasm for opportunities that extend beyond traditional 4-H activities.”

Team member Lauren Keller said, “This was my first year joining WHEP, and I was honored to represent Iowa at the 2024 National WHEP Competition. I want to say thank you to our coaches, Haley and Raina, who have mentored us this year.”

The national contest also provides experiential learning before the contest begins. Participants toured the grounds of the contest site to observe woodland sites and learn about the Texas ecoregions, northern bobwhite management, wildlife and nature photography. Youth were also able to learn from a Texas game warden.

“WHEP has given me the opportunity to learn more about conservation and how different species and habitats affect each other,” said Wyatt Silhanek. “It also allowed me to go to other states and learn about their environments.”

“Going to Texas was so much fun, and some of my favorite highlights were seeing cactus, longhorn cattle, and learning about wildlife photography,” Keller said.

ISU Extension and Outreach wildlife extension specialist Adam Janke explained that team members develop a wildlife management plan together and later defend it individually through conversations with judges. Youth must be familiar with over 50 animals, as well as be able to explain best management practices when given a scenario.

Janke previously served as the past chair of the National WHEP Committee, comprised of Wildlife Extension Specialists from across the country. He was recognized for all his time and effort put into the committee. “It was so fun to see the Tama County 4-H youth win fifth place at the National WHEP Competition! Those youth are so impressive, and it’s not just me that thought that. I heard compliments from every National WHEP staff about how kind, polite and intelligent Lauren, Josey and Wyatt were.”

“I really enjoyed WHEP and am very grateful for the opportunity and that I got to be a part of such an amazing team. I would like to thank my coaches and teammates for being a part of such a great experience. I plan to use the things I learned and apply them to my future career choice,” reflected Josey Wacha. “Texas was amazing, and I am so proud of how all of us progressed and got to where we are. I am truly thankful to everyone who made this possible!”

“The team’s journey to Nationals allowed them to explore the diverse Texas ecoregions and build lasting friendships with peers and coaches from across the country. We are immensely grateful to our sponsors for making this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity possible for our youth,” Princehouse said.

Support for Tama County WHEP and travel to the National Contest was provided by Corteva, Iowa Premium, Tama County Extension Council and Tama County Conservation. For more information on the Iowa 4-H Youth Development program or WHEP, please visit https://www.extension.iastate.edu/4h/whep or contact your ISU Extension and Outreach county office.