Author: Brooke Ortel

Todd Heward’s family has been ranching in Shirley Basin, Wyoming, for more than a century. For decades, he has grazed cattle near and on reclaimed uranium mine sites, observing changes in the landscape over time. Under his conscientious management, Heward has seen former mining sites slowly return to grasslands with healthy soil and diverse plant communities.

A Wyoming work ethic, UW education, and lifelong passion for agriculture. That’s Doug Miyamoto’s recipe for success. As director of the Wyoming Department of Agriculture (WDA), Miyamoto is an internationally recognized advocate for the agricultural community.

If you ask someone on planet Earth what their favorite food is, lettuce probably isn’t the most common answer. But for astronauts aboard the International Space Station, fresh lettuce is a delicacy. As a NASA research fellow, UW undergraduate Bree Drew tested which lettuce varieties and harvest methods might be most efficient—and yield the tastiest product—to better serve astronauts far from home.

Water, weather, wildfire—the list goes on. For Wyoming residents, especially those involved in agriculture, these environmental factors directly impact lives and livelihoods. As producers across the state face increased risk of severe drought, water shortages, and related issues, how can staff at land management agencies, conservation districts, county extension offices, and other local organizations help them plan ahead?

As many Wyoming residents have experienced firsthand, invasive plants like cheatgrass increase wildfire risk and compete with native species for water and nutrients. In some cases, they can also be toxic to grazing animals. While these scourges pose serious threats to agricultural operations, a study by UW scientists may provide some reassurance for Wyoming sheep producers.

For Alzheimer’s patients and caregivers, late afternoon and evening can be a particularly challenging time. Rather than winding down at the end of the day, people with Alzheimer’s often exhibit increased agitation, aggressive behaviors, and a tendency to wander.

Research partners Sara Germain and Tucker Furniss aren’t in danger of missing the forest for the trees—or the trees for the forest. Instead, they’re interested in the connections between individual tree health and overall forest health.

Three UW educators—with areas of expertise ranging from print-making to plant biodiversity—have teamed up to pilot a new approach to science education. Known as Kaleidoscope Science, the program helps students of all ages understand science through artistic creation.

In the cattle industry, AI usually means artificial insemination. But, for one groundbreaking UW scientist, AI in beef production also refers to artificial intelligence.

University of Wyoming scientist Jeff Beck has been named a lifetime Fellow by The Wildlife Society (TWS), an international society of professionals involved in wildlife research, management, and conservation.

The University of Wyoming Extension invites Wyoming residents across the state to celebrate National 4-H Week, which runs through Saturday, Oct. 11. In Wyoming, the event kicked off with the signing of a proclamation by Governor Mark Gordon Monday, Oct. 6, at the State Capitol in Cheyenne.

The University of Wyoming’s Institute for Managing Annual Grasses Invading Natural Ecosystems (IMAGINE) has released a new educational film for Western communities grappling with the spread of invasive annual grasses.

Lauren Shoemaker, an associate professor in the University of Wyoming’s botany department, has received a five-year, $875,000 National Science Foundation grant to study how plant communities in Wyoming and northern Colorado respond to warming temperatures.

A needs assessment led by the University of Wyoming Extension may help the state’s agricultural community plan for and manage challenging environmental conditions like drought, wildfires and water shortages.

The University of Wyoming Extension has released two free online resources for Wyoming gardeners interested in growing native plants.