WHEP 2023 State Competition
The Iowa 2023 WHEP State Competition will focus on the tallgrass prairie, urban, and wetland ecoregions. All youth teams will be provided with a WHEP manual to use while creating their written Wildlife Management Plan (WMP) at the Iowa State WHEP Competition. However, this is not permitted at the National WHEP Competition.
The Iowa WHEP 2023 State Competition will include only Activity I (Individual Wildlife Challenge) and Activity III A (Team Written Management Plan).
WHO: Youth teams of 3-4 individuals. Youth may register in the Junior or Senior age divisions. Awards will be given to youth teams and individuals for Junior and Senior age divisions. Youth do not need to be 4-H members to participate.
•Junior Division: 8-13 years old
•Senior Division 14-19 years old.
WHEN: May 20, 2023. Check-in starts at 8:30 AM. The competition will run approximately from 8:30 AM-4:30 PM.
WHERE: Jester County Park in Granger, Iowa.
REGISTRATION: $15 per person. Registration opens through 4-H Online on March 1, 2023, and closes on April 17.
What is WHEP?
The WHEP (National Wildlife Habitat Education Program) is a hands-on environmental education program. WHEP also provides participants an opportunity to test their wildlife knowledge in a friendly competition, as each state supporting WHEP conducts an annual contest where teams of 3-4 similarly aged individuals gather. The winning senior (14-19 years of age) WHEP team from each state earns the right to attend the annual National WHEP Contest, typically held the last full week of July. The national contest moves to a different state each year.
What do Participants Study?
- Learn about wildlife
- Learn about wildlife habitat
- Learn how to judge the quality of wildlife habitat
- Learn about wildlife habitat management practices
Preparing for the WHEP State Competition
- WHEP Manual
- Download Portions of the Manual
- Judges’ Scoring Sheet – Activity III-A Written Wildlife Management Plan
- Iowa Ecosystems Species List
- WHEP Tallgrass Prairie Ecoregion Species List
- WHEP Urban Ecoregion Species List
- WHEP Wetland Ecoregion Species List
Information on Becoming a Coach
WHEP Coach Resources
- Developing a Wildlife Habitat Management Plan
- Wildlife ID and Equipment Flash Cards
- Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Program: Preparing for the Wildlife Challenge
- Wildlife Habitat Education Program: Wildlife Identification Guide
- Outdoor Classroom Development
- Teaching and Learning Wildlife Management Practices
- Innovative Science Teaching Methods
- Activities and Games for Reviewing Content
- Resource Links
- WHEP Lessons
- Tallgrass Prairie Wildlife Flashcards
- Tallgrass Prairie Jeopardy
- Urban Jeopardy
- Merlin, by The Cornell Lab: Free Bird ID APP
- SEEK, by iNaturalist: Free APP to ID Wildlife, Plants, and Fungi