West
Post by Clemson Montana Summer Program student Josh Cary
Montana; a state with more cows than people and where going to the grocery store is a half day expedition. The last great untamed wilderness in the lower 48. These were just a few of the thoughts I had running through my head as I boarded my first flight leaving Baltimore Washington International Airport early Thursday morning. The flights gave me just enough time to get myself worried. What had I gotten myself into? Flying two thirds of the way across the country to spend three weeks of an already incredibly busy summer studying prairie ecology with six complete strangers. As I exited the plane in Billings, MT I ran through my fellow students’ names one last time to make sure I wasn’t going to mix anyone up and start on an even more awkward footing. When I found the group of waiting students in the lobby my fears were gone and in their place was a sense of excitement.
The 45 minute ride from Billing to High Meadows Ranch, where we would be staying for the majority of the trip, was a quiet one. No one knew what to expect or how to react to what was unfolding in-front of their eyes. When we pulled into the ranch I knew I was home. Green pastures surrounded by bare rock hills dotted with Ponderosa Pines led me to believe I had fallen into an episode of Bonanza. It had always been a dream of mine to experience the west and Montana. On the rare occasions as a child where I rode western instead of English I had always imagined myself as a cowboy herding cattle back home and now I get the chance to experience ranching and prairies first hand.
The American Prairie Reserve
Our time in the rocky hills of the Bull Mountains (where High Meadows Ranch is located) was short. After a night of much needed sleep we loaded up the van and continued North through Round Up and Grass Range to our final destination, the American Prairie Reserve [APR]. Here we would spend the next five days camping under the seemingly endless sky and learning about the prairie as it was hundreds of years ago.
The APR is a one of a kind project where they are trying to stitch together three million acres of public land by purchasing half a million acres of deeded private land. In theory this would create the largest continuous public land mass in the lower 48 50% larger than Yellowstone. The project, even in its unfinished state, is nothing short of impressive. Driving through miles of unfenced prairie we saw elk, pronghorn, mule deer, prairie dogs, dozens of species of birds, and of course bison much as they would have appeared 400 years ago.
The project isn’t without it’s controversies though. Partly because they plan on removing ranchers and cattle to allow the bison to roam freely and partly because of the way they went about buying the first properties, hiding their real intentions of creating a nature preserve, most locals aren’t fans of the APR. The first time we drove into the town of Malta (the closest town to the APR) I was shocked to see just how many signs there were hanging on fences and in front yards against the project. Seeing the outrage of the local community led me to rethink my view of the project. As a scientist the benefits of having a large area of “natural” prairie are undeniable however, coming in with Wall Street and Silicon Valley money and buying out families that have been the for 4 generations can seem awfully harsh if you look at it from the rancher’s point of view.
Another issue I have with the APR is their lack of a defined goal and objectives to get there. Their website states the mission is to “to create the largest nature reserve in the continental United States, a refuge for people and wildlife preserved forever as part of America’s heritage” however, there seems to be a focus on marketing the current project as an American safari in order to attract high end donors. The whole things is oddly reminiscent of a real world Jurassic Park with rich adventurers being flown in on helicopters to stay in 5 star luxury and be driven around in fancy vehicles to catch a glimpse of the bison, antelope, prairie dogs, and other animals.
My opinion of the APR is very complicated and ever changing. This is one of those all grey area topics with no right answer. Hopefully as I continue to spend time in Montana and experience its culture and people my personal view on the matter will be refined and I will be able to leave here with a concise opinion on the matter.
The People
One thing that isn’t as different as I thought it would be is the people. Having grown up working on my grandfather’s farm where it’s a 15 minute drive to go find any sort of food or gas I’m accustomed to tight knit local communities who are wary of out of towners. Montana is no different. That being said every single Montanan I’ve had the privilege to talk with, from the waitress at the “Hitchin Post” where we ate breakfast one morning to the adventure motor cycler who was camped next to us at the APR, has been amazing and welcoming. Due to the remoteness and schedule of our first five days our contact with locals has been rare. Hopefully now that we traveling less and in a less remote area I will be able to meet and get a better sense for the locals.
The Landscape
Montana is a land with many faces. From the large flat buttes like the one the Billings airport is located on, to the rocky hills studded with pines like at the High Meadows Ranch, or the rolling grassy hills of the plains; there seems to be a never ending list of ecosystems here each with their own unique set of inhabitants. One of those unique ecosystems was Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge located east of Malta. The large shallow salt lakes make for the perfect habitat for breeding shorebirds. These birds leave the beaches at which we are so accustomed to seeing them and head for a salty hole located in such a remote area that we were the only ones visiting that day. American White Pelicans, Blacknecked Stilts, White-faced Ibis, and thousands of Northern Shovelers all flock to this area in search of a mate and food. We also had the opportunity to explore the Little Rockies and take in their sheer cliff faces and crystal clear spring fed streams.
The First Section
Overall my first week in Montana has been amazing and everything I could have hoped for. As I sit here writing this I am still in awe of the natural beauty of this place and jealous that some people get to call this home. Now that I have had to see the prairie as it was I am excited to be able to learn more about how people have adapted to life here in the next section.
Montana; a state with more cows than people and where going to the grocery store is a half day expedition. The last great untamed wilderness in the lower 48. These were just a few of the thoughts I had running through my head as I boarded my first flight leaving Baltimore Washington International Airport early Thursday morning. The flights gave me just enough time to get myself worried. What had I gotten myself into? Flying two thirds of the way across the country to spend three weeks of an already incredibly busy summer studying prairie ecology with six complete strangers. As I exited the plane in Billings, MT I ran through my fellow students’ names one last time to make sure I wasn’t going to mix anyone up and start on an even more awkward footing. When I found the group of waiting students in the lobby my fears were gone and in their place was a sense of excitement.
The 45 minute ride from Billing to High Meadows Ranch, where we would be staying for the majority of the trip, was a quiet one. No one knew what to expect or how to react to what was unfolding in-front of their eyes. When we pulled into the ranch I knew I was home. Green pastures surrounded by bare rock hills dotted with Ponderosa Pines led me to believe I had fallen into an episode of Bonanza. It had always been a dream of mine to experience the west and Montana. On the rare occasions as a child where I rode western instead of English I had always imagined myself as a cowboy herding cattle back home and now I get the chance to experience ranching and prairies first hand.
The American Prairie Reserve
Our time in the rocky hills of the Bull Mountains (where High Meadows Ranch is located) was short. After a night of much needed sleep we loaded up the van and continued North through Round Up and Grass Range to our final destination, the American Prairie Reserve [APR]. Here we would spend the next five days camping under the seemingly endless sky and learning about the prairie as it was hundreds of years ago.
The APR is a one of a kind project where they are trying to stitch together three million acres of public land by purchasing half a million acres of deeded private land. In theory this would create the largest continuous public land mass in the lower 48 50% larger than Yellowstone. The project, even in its unfinished state, is nothing short of impressive. Driving through miles of unfenced prairie we saw elk, pronghorn, mule deer, prairie dogs, dozens of species of birds, and of course bison much as they would have appeared 400 years ago.
The project isn’t without it’s controversies though. Partly because they plan on removing ranchers and cattle to allow the bison to roam freely and partly because of the way they went about buying the first properties, hiding their real intentions of creating a nature preserve, most locals aren’t fans of the APR. The first time we drove into the town of Malta (the closest town to the APR) I was shocked to see just how many signs there were hanging on fences and in front yards against the project. Seeing the outrage of the local community led me to rethink my view of the project. As a scientist the benefits of having a large area of “natural” prairie are undeniable however, coming in with Wall Street and Silicon Valley money and buying out families that have been the for 4 generations can seem awfully harsh if you look at it from the rancher’s point of view.
Another issue I have with the APR is their lack of a defined goal and objectives to get there. Their website states the mission is to “to create the largest nature reserve in the continental United States, a refuge for people and wildlife preserved forever as part of America’s heritage” however, there seems to be a focus on marketing the current project as an American safari in order to attract high end donors. The whole things is oddly reminiscent of a real world Jurassic Park with rich adventurers being flown in on helicopters to stay in 5 star luxury and be driven around in fancy vehicles to catch a glimpse of the bison, antelope, prairie dogs, and other animals.
My opinion of the APR is very complicated and ever changing. This is one of those all grey area topics with no right answer. Hopefully as I continue to spend time in Montana and experience its culture and people my personal view on the matter will be refined and I will be able to leave here with a concise opinion on the matter.
The People
One thing that isn’t as different as I thought it would be is the people. Having grown up working on my grandfather’s farm where it’s a 15 minute drive to go find any sort of food or gas I’m accustomed to tight knit local communities who are wary of out of towners. Montana is no different. That being said every single Montanan I’ve had the privilege to talk with, from the waitress at the “Hitchin Post” where we ate breakfast one morning to the adventure motor cycler who was camped next to us at the APR, has been amazing and welcoming. Due to the remoteness and schedule of our first five days our contact with locals has been rare. Hopefully now that we traveling less and in a less remote area I will be able to meet and get a better sense for the locals.The Landscape
Montana is a land with many faces. From the large flat buttes like the one the Billings airport is located on, to the rocky hills studded with pines like at the High Meadows Ranch, or the rolling grassy hills of the plains; there seems to be a never ending list of ecosystems here each with their own unique set of inhabitants. One of those unique ecosystems was Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge located east of Malta. The large shallow salt lakes make for the perfect habitat for breeding shorebirds. These birds leave the beaches at which we are so accustomed to seeing them and head for a salty hole located in such a remote area that we were the only ones visiting that day. American White Pelicans, Blacknecked Stilts, White-faced Ibis, and thousands of Northern Shovelers all flock to this area in search of a mate and food. We also had the opportunity to explore the Little Rockies and take in their sheer cliff faces and crystal clear spring fed streams.The First Section
Overall my first week in Montana has been amazing and everything I could have hoped for. As I sit here writing this I am still in awe of the natural beauty of this place and jealous that some people get to call this home. Now that I have had to see the prairie as it was I am excited to be able to learn more about how people have adapted to life here in the next section.
