The Little Tent on the Prairie

Guest post by Summer Program student Madelyn Dinneen - 

I immensely enjoyed the second section of this course, learning from the guest speakers and spending time on the prairie. After spending a few days camping, I feel reconnected to nature and have a new perspective on my surroundings. Throughout the week, we were able to speak with people working for the American Prairie Reserve (APR), The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and the Ranchers Stewardship Alliance (RSA). The stakeholders of these organizations all hold a different vision of what they believe the American Prairies of  Montana should look like. One controversial topic we explored in this class was the impacts of bison versus cattle on the American Prairie. Some people view bison, prairie dogs and beavers as pest species in the ecosystem; however, they are keystone species. Other stakeholders find value in ranching and grazing cattle to maintain biodiversity within the ecosystem. The main question in my head while talking with the guest speakers was which practice is the most sustainable?

One goal of the APR is to restore bison populations in the prairie ecosystem. The APR buys lands from neighboring organizations such as the CMR and BLM to expand the bison population range. On the other hand, TNC and RSA focus on implementing sustainable ranching, such as creating grass banks for grazing and encouraging ranchers to use sustainable practices on their land. I believe there is no right or wrong answer after talking with these stakeholders and asking them questions. Sustainability involves conserving the environment to meet the needs of the present without compromising the needs of future generations. Every organization stays true to its passion for sustainability; nothing is wrong with that. I think bison and cattle can contribute to maintaining a diverse ecosystem, and if these organizations can somehow meet eye to eye, they can help each other succeed.

My favorite part of this section was learning about their bird research from Andrew and Nancy. We walked with Andrew's team as they collected data from the grounding bird nests. They measured,  weighed and marked the baby birds with different colors, which was fun to watch. I was impressed with their ability to find the bird nests easily, and I feel that this sparked my interest in bird research. I learned that prairie dogs are essential for maintaining and growing ground-nesting bird biodiversity.

Keystone species, such as prairie dogs and bison, play a significant role in preserving biodiversity, so we must continue educating people on their importance. It is sad to hear stories about people shooting prairie dogs for no good reason, which, in turn, kills other species within the ecosystem. Science plays a significant role in the fate of the wildlife prairie species and other species worldwide. Collecting scientific data on prairie dogs and bison supports the argument that they belong to the American prairie ecosystem and are not labeled as pest species. Observing scientists in the field studying species they deeply care about and want to conserve makes me excited for my career and the potential opportunities I have in the future. Before coming to Montana, I had a surface-level picture of the area's wildlife, lifestyle and people. I am leaving Montana with a new mindset of the West and confidence in conducting field research and discussing controversial conservation issues. I enjoyed spending time with my peers as we had a really fun group of people with different interests.

We had a lot of hard days working with good laughs mixed in between. Working with a diverse group of people expanded my perspective on certain topics we studied. In the end, I learned we cannot completely go back to the ecosystem we once had before; however, we can do everything we can to sustain the environment for the future.