Not everyone agrees about what can or should be conserved and what can’t
Guest post by student Taylor Hancock -
Many people would define the word “conservation” as preserving what is sacred to them. However, not everyone agrees about what can or should be conserved and what can’t. This, at least to me, is the fundamental fact which we are analyzing during our time in Montana. With Dr. Jachowski this past week we did several activities which provoke reflection on this concept specifically. Each of these activities revolved around the wildlife section of the course. In other words, natural resource sustainability was what we spent the first few days learning about. The first day we spent with Dr. Jachowski was at the El Matador Symposium which was an opportunity for members of the community to come together and talk about the surrounding wildlife. We were able to talk to a man named Leo who is a ranch-owner about how he runs his ranch and the ways in which he is being sustainable. In his case, what he wants to preserve is his way of life. His does this by utilizing the Rancher’s Stewardship Alliance. We were able to learn about how the RSA operates and what they are passionate about. Leo’s family has been on the land since the early 1900’s and he has had to adapt and overcome the changes and the hardships that have been brought to him and his family. To him – conservation is an idea, it is not so much tangible as it is a way of life.
In contrast, on the other days we spent with Dr. Jachowski, we were looking at the ways in which wildlife can be conserved. We spent a lot of time in the field with Andrew Dreelin, mapping Horned Lark nests in order to track their reproduction and growth over time in reference to Prairie Dog towns. To this project, conservation means preserving the ecosystem in which these birds thrive. It also means protecting the ways that many species work together, which is something that is so special about the Prairie as a whole. To further this idea of conservation – we also spent time with Dana, who is a PhD student who has successfully reintroduced swift foxes to the Ft Belknap Reservation, which were all but eradicated from the Prairie. We spent time with her looking for the swift fox dens which have developed since last season. This type of conservation is vital to the future of the Prairie in my opinion. This is because swift foxes are considered to be a keystone species of the Prairie, and while the Prairie will always have human influence on it – these types of steps are necessary to keep the Prairie a diverse ecosystem and preserve it for generations to come.
With human influence in mind, we also spent time talking to one of the Vice-Presidents of the APR (American Prairie Reserve), who is also the superintendent of our campground. He spoke to us about how there will always be human influence on the Prairie and his version of conservation is management centered. The APR buys land in order to keep the Prairie intact, over a large section of the river. Their non-profit manages the land in order to keep the biodiversity of the Prairie prioritized. This organization is very controversial though, because of alleged competition to ranches in the area. It was very interesting to think about the ways that the APR is actively conserving something that is important to them, and the ranchers are doing a similar thing. At the end of the day, it is a difference in priorities, opinions, and lifestyles, as well as viewpoints.
On the third and last day with Dr. J, we did a similar thing to the first day, however, with Pipits. Pipits are also birds that are endemic to the Prairie. The PhD student we were working with, Nancy, is studying their migration patterns. In order to track their migration, the Pipits are caught, tagged, and released. Their “backpacks” which are placed on them in the tagging process have a solar panel on them which connects to a tower in order to track where they are located and how long they stay. The Pipit research ties back to the idea that conservation is tangible and is something that we are able to actively work toward. With research efforts (and science as a whole) – we are able to learn more about the Prairie as a whole and how we can better take care of it in the future. This was my favorite part of the time we spent with Dr. Jachowski, just because it was a once in a lifetime opportunity to see the Pipits which are so rare to find.
Lastly, we met with another PhD student, Claire – who flies drones over Bison herd in the APR in order to track social dynamics in large bison groups. This was also a surreal experience, and it was very encouraging to see such a huge effort put into a species which we do not have much historical information about. This conservation effort speaks volumes to the passion that people in the area hold for the Prairie.
As I finish this reflection, the main things that stick with me going forward in the course, are that there are many players in the conservation conversation, and it is something that will continue to change going forward. Everyone is trying to conserve something and sustain a way of life which is important to them. The Prairie is a unique place and there is nowhere else in the world that has the same plant and animal species that it does which makes are time here all the more special. This place has already had such a large impact on my life and how I view conflict and I cannot wait to continue to learn more. Thank you to Dr. Jachowski for making all of this possible!
