Humboldt played Mississippi State in the final, winning with a victory of 180-15.
Each year, the Quiz Bowl brings together teams of students from universities across the country to compete in a game where they buzz in to answer various wildlife-related questions and identify animals by sight and sound.
This year’s Humboldt Wildlife Quiz Bowl team consisted of wildlife undergraduate students Sam Strich, Owen Sinkus, Katie Bishop, and Caius Bulkley. They prepared for the competition in the WLDF 482 Wildlife Conclave course, where additional students helped write sample questions and covered multiple topics ranging from ornithology to mammalogy to plant taxonomy.
Before advancing to the semi-finals, Humboldt played the University of Delaware and Virginia Tech. In the semi-finals, and won 90-35 against Mississippi State, 105-40 against the University of Georgia, and 45-10 against Purdue University, before facing off against Mississippi State again in the final.
Some of the questions the team faced included:
Q: Why is the creosote bush referred to as King Clone?
A: It is one of the oldest living clonal organisms on Earth
Q: What call did Harriet Tubman use as a covert signal during the Underground Railroad?
A: Barred Owl
Q: What fish shares its name with Dolly Parton?
A: The Dolly Varden
Humboldt has claimed 13 out of the 23 national championships it’s competed in since 2001. The University has also dominated the Wildlife Society Western Section Quiz Bowl, winning 30 championships out of 49 that it has competed in since 1965.
“Attending The Wildlife Society’s national meeting provides students more than just the opportunity to compete in the Quiz Bowl,” explains Christina Varian, instructor of the Wildlife Conclave course. “It's also a chance to meet students from across the nation who share a passion for wildlife and making new friends,” she says.