Lessons From The Prairie
Post by Montana Summer Program Student Josh Cary
Heading west for the first time in my life, I was a little worried about what I had gotten myself in to. The idea of spending three weeks with six women I didn't know was slightly overwhelming at first. That, coupled with the fact that this was the first year of the program, gave me the right to be nervous. I could only guess what was ahead of me. But, luckily, this trip turned out so much better than I could have imagined; I got so much more out of it than just what was on the syllabus.
My reason for going to Montana was probably different from the rest of the class. I wasn’t there to find a future study interest, or to get field experience, as I have already had plenty of both. I wanted to go to Montana for the simple reason of seeing “big sky country”. I went there to experience just how big a landscape could be without trees, buildings, and people in the way. Honestly, I also wanted to go there for the fish. Unfortunately that didn’t happen this time. That will have to wait until the next trip.
Everything I had read, seen, or heard about Montana had led me to believe that it was my kind of place. A land of fishing, hunting, and outdoor adventure opportunities unmatched anywhere else in the United States; it was too tempting an offer to pass up. What wilderness lover wouldn’t want to live there? Unfortunately, I had to settle for only a short visit. But it was a great visit. I never would have imagined I would love it as much as I did.
I can’t imagine what it would be like to grow up in a place like Montana. The people who live there are incredibly lucky to have such an amazing place to call home. The variety of landscapes in Montana was something I hadn’t anticipated. The prairie, the Missouri River breaks, and the mountains each had their own kind of beauty. I assumed there would be a difference between the eastern and western parts of the state, but I had no idea that a forty-five-minute drive could transport you into a different world.
Although it was a spur of the moment decision, I would have to say my favorite landscape we visited during our trip would be the Bighorn Mountains on our way back from seeing the herd of wild horses in the Pryor Mountains in Wyoming. There was something amazing about coming through the pass at 9,500 feet and seeing lush valleys full of elk and trout streams. It was nothing like I had ever experienced before. The beauty of raw, unbridled nature was overwhelming. That particular drive also changed my definition of what a mountain is; from the ancient Appalachians to the snowcapped granite peaks of the Rockies, it was an incredible difference from what I have become accustomed to.
Montana, and the people I met there, have taught me many lessons. Of course the class portion of the trip was very informative; I learned many things such as ruminant nutrition and habitat sampling for sage grouse. But there were also a lot of lessons I picked up just from being there and interacting with the people.
One of those lessons I learned is that there’s always more than meets the eye. Even with something you’d assume would be simple, such as a cow eating grass in a field. On the surface, this would appear to be a one-on-one interaction between animal and nature. But I have learned during my time in Montana that nothing is as simple as it appears. In this scenario there’s actually thousands of interactions taking place simultaneously.
Before this trip I would look at that scene and think of the interactions between the cow and the grass and the microbes in the cow’s stomach and the surrounding wildlife, but there was one thing missing from my picture: the people.
It seemed strange to me to look at an animal and think of humans, but since my return I can’t stop adding humans to the equation. That cow is owned by a rancher, the grass that his cow is eating is probably owned by some government entity (BLM, US Forest Service, the State of Montana, … etc.). Each agency has different objectives that they manage for and all of these people, agencies, and livestock have to work together to produce a favorable outcome.
I also learned what it means to be a rancher. I've spent my fair share of days working in a field or on a construction site. But meeting the local ranchers and seeing what they had to do left an impression I wasn’t expecting. Not only do they have to have all the skills of a farmer (weather man, welder, banker, mechanic, etc.) but you also have to have all of the animal skills too (nutritionist, grazing manager, veterinarian, etc.)
The paradox that is Montana; a rugged wilderness shaped by thousands of years of extreme climate now being changed by human hands. A place so incredible that it completely changes your perception of wilderness is being turned into row crops. Seeing a landscape that has survived the tests of time falling to agriculture and oil production was the saddest sight of the trip. I understand the draw of easier days when switching from cattle grazing to wheat fields, but the damage you cause is nearly irreversible. I wish more people understood that.
Unfortunately the only way to get more people interested in the problems facing Montana is to let them experience these problems first hand, something that won’t happen anytime soon. So, what possible solutions may still be out there? Education. We need to promote communication between ranchers and American consumers who do not understand the implications of their buying choices. By doing so, I hope that people will think twice about the impact their consumption has on others.
All good things must come to an end and it was time for me to fly back to Maryland and get back to work. My three weeks in Montana had changed me though. I wasn’t the same person who landed in Billings on June 2nd. I found something, a piece of me, in the wide open grasslands that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.
Heading west for the first time in my life, I was a little worried about what I had gotten myself in to. The idea of spending three weeks with six women I didn't know was slightly overwhelming at first. That, coupled with the fact that this was the first year of the program, gave me the right to be nervous. I could only guess what was ahead of me. But, luckily, this trip turned out so much better than I could have imagined; I got so much more out of it than just what was on the syllabus.My reason for going to Montana was probably different from the rest of the class. I wasn’t there to find a future study interest, or to get field experience, as I have already had plenty of both. I wanted to go to Montana for the simple reason of seeing “big sky country”. I went there to experience just how big a landscape could be without trees, buildings, and people in the way. Honestly, I also wanted to go there for the fish. Unfortunately that didn’t happen this time. That will have to wait until the next trip.
Everything I had read, seen, or heard about Montana had led me to believe that it was my kind of place. A land of fishing, hunting, and outdoor adventure opportunities unmatched anywhere else in the United States; it was too tempting an offer to pass up. What wilderness lover wouldn’t want to live there? Unfortunately, I had to settle for only a short visit. But it was a great visit. I never would have imagined I would love it as much as I did.
I can’t imagine what it would be like to grow up in a place like Montana. The people who live there are incredibly lucky to have such an amazing place to call home. The variety of landscapes in Montana was something I hadn’t anticipated. The prairie, the Missouri River breaks, and the mountains each had their own kind of beauty. I assumed there would be a difference between the eastern and western parts of the state, but I had no idea that a forty-five-minute drive could transport you into a different world.
Although it was a spur of the moment decision, I would have to say my favorite landscape we visited during our trip would be the Bighorn Mountains on our way back from seeing the herd of wild horses in the Pryor Mountains in Wyoming. There was something amazing about coming through the pass at 9,500 feet and seeing lush valleys full of elk and trout streams. It was nothing like I had ever experienced before. The beauty of raw, unbridled nature was overwhelming. That particular drive also changed my definition of what a mountain is; from the ancient Appalachians to the snowcapped granite peaks of the Rockies, it was an incredible difference from what I have become accustomed to.
Montana, and the people I met there, have taught me many lessons. Of course the class portion of the trip was very informative; I learned many things such as ruminant nutrition and habitat sampling for sage grouse. But there were also a lot of lessons I picked up just from being there and interacting with the people.
One of those lessons I learned is that there’s always more than meets the eye. Even with something you’d assume would be simple, such as a cow eating grass in a field. On the surface, this would appear to be a one-on-one interaction between animal and nature. But I have learned during my time in Montana that nothing is as simple as it appears. In this scenario there’s actually thousands of interactions taking place simultaneously.
Before this trip I would look at that scene and think of the interactions between the cow and the grass and the microbes in the cow’s stomach and the surrounding wildlife, but there was one thing missing from my picture: the people.It seemed strange to me to look at an animal and think of humans, but since my return I can’t stop adding humans to the equation. That cow is owned by a rancher, the grass that his cow is eating is probably owned by some government entity (BLM, US Forest Service, the State of Montana, … etc.). Each agency has different objectives that they manage for and all of these people, agencies, and livestock have to work together to produce a favorable outcome.
I also learned what it means to be a rancher. I've spent my fair share of days working in a field or on a construction site. But meeting the local ranchers and seeing what they had to do left an impression I wasn’t expecting. Not only do they have to have all the skills of a farmer (weather man, welder, banker, mechanic, etc.) but you also have to have all of the animal skills too (nutritionist, grazing manager, veterinarian, etc.)
The paradox that is Montana; a rugged wilderness shaped by thousands of years of extreme climate now being changed by human hands. A place so incredible that it completely changes your perception of wilderness is being turned into row crops. Seeing a landscape that has survived the tests of time falling to agriculture and oil production was the saddest sight of the trip. I understand the draw of easier days when switching from cattle grazing to wheat fields, but the damage you cause is nearly irreversible. I wish more people understood that.
Unfortunately the only way to get more people interested in the problems facing Montana is to let them experience these problems first hand, something that won’t happen anytime soon. So, what possible solutions may still be out there? Education. We need to promote communication between ranchers and American consumers who do not understand the implications of their buying choices. By doing so, I hope that people will think twice about the impact their consumption has on others.
All good things must come to an end and it was time for me to fly back to Maryland and get back to work. My three weeks in Montana had changed me though. I wasn’t the same person who landed in Billings on June 2nd. I found something, a piece of me, in the wide open grasslands that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.
