MOUNT OLIVE – The University of Mount Olive recently hosted the first-ever Outdoor & Wildlife Sympos at the UMO Kornegay Student Farm in Duplin County. The event was sponsored by the University of Mount Olive School of Agriculture & Biological Sciences and the First Bank & Trust Company of Virginia in cooperation with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission.
Over 80 students from Triton High School-Harnett County, Lumberton High School-Robeson County, Richlands High School-Onslow County, and Clayton High School-Johnston County attended the event.
Attendees participated in various courses including outdoor cooking, fly tying, archery, leather making, and mammal and reptiles. Experts in multiple fields from the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission served as instructors for the various breakout sessions.
Participants received hands-on training on these, and other topics, to expand their knowledge and appreciation of NC’s natural resources. Those in attendance also gained insight into the industry’s career opportunities and agricultural degree programs at the University of Mount Olive.
Participants in the outdoor cooking workshop prepared brownies in a cardboard oven heated with only seven charcoal briquettes, fish cooked in a foil packet, and venison sloppy joes. Students enjoyed sampling their primitive cooking at the end of the workshop.
Dr. Mickael Cariveau, Associate Professor in the UMO Environmental and Biological Sciences Department, said, “There are unlimited opportunities for students interested in wildlife and natural resources to work in enforcement, state and national parks, forestry, and education. UMO’s Environmental and Natural Resources BS degree is an excellent academic choice to prepare students for these career pathways.”
The University of Mount Olive is a private institution rooted in the liberal arts tradition with defining Christian values. The University is sponsored by the Convention of Original Free Will Baptists. For more information, visit www.umo.edu.
