The student organization took 14 undergraduates to The Wildlife Society’s 30th annual conference from November 5-9 in Louisville, Ky. Students from every class made up the group including two freshmen.
“Last year, with it being so far away in Spokane, Wash., we weren’t able to attend,” UTK Wildlife and Fisheries Society President Ashlyn Smith said, “We were very excited with it being such a short distance this time around so we made sure to take a large group.”
They attended multiple student networking events including the welcome reception and student professional mixer. They also participated in the UT alumni and friends meeting where they saw several current School of Natural Resources faculty including Professors Don Hodges and Lisa Muller and Forestry and Wildlife Extension Specialist Chris Graves.
Cohen Eastridge, Hannah Guess, DeShun Leeper and Ashlyn Smith competed in the conference quiz bowl.
The student organization also took part in the conference’s sessions on research and advocacy presentations on mammals, herpetofauna, birds, international topics and other subjects.
Between sessions, students visited the booth area to learn about conservation organizations, graduate school programs and new technology. They had opportunities for people to look at their application for The Wildlife Society’s Associate Wildlife Biologist Certification. They also listened to poster presentations and supported UT graduate students by attending their presentations.
