Aug. 20, 2010

UNL’s Center for Grassland Studies will host a fall seminar series featuring faculty and guest lecturers on topics ranging from future challenges in the turf industry to reclaiming rangeland using prescribed burns to issues related to wildlife in grassland habitats.

The seminars, which are free and open to the public, can be taken for academic credit. They will be held most Mondays during the fall semester from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Nebraska East Union.

The series features Trey Patterson, this year's Leu distinguished lecturer. Patterson is the chief operating officer for Paddock Ranch
Company headquartered in Ranchester, Wyo.

"In his previous role as a beef specialist for South Dakota State University, Dr. Patterson led statewide extension programs in beef cattle
nutrition and management and conducted research in the areas of management systems, water quality, and use of co-product feeds," said Martin Massengale, center director and seminar instructor.

"In his current position, he works with the Paddock Ranch management team to develop and implement strategies to improve profitability of the ranching operations."

On Nov. 15, Patterson will present "A Systems Approach to Grassland Management." Patterson's visit to UNL is made possible by a gift from the Frank and Margaret Leu family to the University of Nebraska Foundation.

Videos of all seminars will be available for checkout from the center. For more information, contact the Center for Grassland Studies at (402)
472-4101, e-mail grassland@unl.edu, or visit http://www.grassland.unl.edu.

Seminar Schedule

August

• Aug. 30 -- Zac Reicher, professor, UNL Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, "Some Challenges Facing the Future of Turfgrass"

September

• Sept. 6 -- No seminar (holiday)
• Sept. 13 -- Larkin Powell, associate professor, UNL School of Natural Resources, "Bush Control and Fight for Grasslands in Namibia"
• Sept. 20 -- Gerry Steinauer, botanist, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, "Grassland Management Plans for the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission Wildlife Management Area"
• Sept. 27 -- Bill Whitney, executive director, Prairie Plains Resource Institute, "Native Grass Seeding and Other Observations at the Prairie Plains Resource Institute"

October

• Oct. 4 -- Matt Stockton, assistant professor, UNL West Central Research and Extension Center, "How Different Calving Times and Rangeland Productivity Are Affected by Drought"
• Oct. 11 -- Doug Whisenhunt, state prescribed burn/grazing specialist, Nebraska Natural Resource Conservation Service, "Working with Fire and Private Landowner Groups to Reclaim Rangelands"
• Oct. 18 -- No seminar (semester break)
• Oct. 25 -- Al Steuter, private landowner and rancher, Johnstown, Neb., "The Value of Rangeland Heterogeneity in a High Cost Future: A Producer's Perspective"

November

• Nov. 8 -- Swapna Purandare, graduate student, School of Biological Sciences, UNL, "Role of Aphid Honeydew in Foraging Behavior of Ladybird Beetle Larvae"
• Nov. 15 -- Trey Patterson, chief operating officer, Paddock Ranches, Ranchester, Wyo., "A Systems Approach to Grassland Management"
• Nov. 22 -- Karla Jenkins, assistant professor, UNL Panhandle Research and Extension Center, "Utilization of Western Rangelands by Livestock"
• Nov. 29 -- TJ Fontaine, assistant unit leader, USGS Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, "Avian Conservation in the Prairie Pothole Region"

December

• Dec. 6 -- TBA

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