ZACHARY HANDKE

     My career goals are focused on helping educate people on how to reach their objectives by using better management practices. Since my early experiences with burning and managing wetlands, I loved seeing the results of how plant structure and composition change and ultimately how that area's use was changed. However, after starting a career in natural resources, it didn't take me long to realize that this field is a service industry and that I enjoyed talking with stakeholders about different types of management. I plan to work with individuals and organizations to restore and maintain native rangelands while still utilizing them for renewable services in agricultural production and recreation. I have experience with multiple types of agricultural production and have been part of managing hundreds of thousands of acres that consist of wetlands, oak/pine forests, cross-timbers, tall-, mixed-, and short-grass prairie.