Prairie Guardians: Conservation and Ranching in Montana
Guest post by Summer Program student Emory Beer - In the final section of the Clemson Prairie Ecology course, we focused on wildlife restoration and conservation. We engaged with various individuals discussing topics such as birds, bison, grass banks, and ranchers. We even participated in making a permanent difference for wildlife by taking down an old barbed wire fence. These experiences deepened my understanding of sustaining Montana's remaining grassland prairies. Maintaining the ecological processes that support the prairie is crucial for preserving native plants, wildlife, and soil. Over the years, factors such as cattle ranching, overgrazing, row crop agriculture, fire suppression, and invasive species have significantly shaped the landscape. In our discussions with people from Montana, it became evident that the primary challenge in prairie conservation is the competition for space between wildlife and ranchers. As someone raised on a cow-calf operation in South Carolina an
