Fostering land stewardship and conservation in the American West
through teaching, research, outreach and leadership.
program impacts 2021
Ucross High Plains Stewardship Initiative (UHPSI) within the Yale School of the Environment focuses on stewardship and conservation in the American West. At its core, UHPSI seeks to engage in teaching, research, and outreach on land stewardship, primarily through mentoring students on applied research and management projects with western partners.
OUR TEAM
Justin Farrell, PhD
Michelle Downey, MS
Current Students
Latest news
Estimating Herbaceous ANPP with the Monteith Model: Filtering Shrubs Using STL—Jianing Tian
Over the past few months, I have been working on the estimation of aboveground net primary production (ANPP) of herbaceous plants in the Jonah Field, Wyoming. To achieve this, I applied the Monteith model, which relates plant productivity to absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (APAR), incident solar radiation (PAR) and radiation use efficiency (RUE). Specifically, I Read more about Estimating Herbaceous ANPP with the Monteith Model: Filtering Shrubs Using STL—Jianing Tian[…]
Laying Down the Law: A Campaign to Preserve the West
This summer, Bella is working with Cottonwood Environmental Law Center, a nonprofit organization based in Bozeman, Montana. Cottonwood aims to protect the people, forests, water, and wildlife of the American West primarily through conversation lawsuits and educational campaigns. Her work is focused on prosecuting the Yellowstone Club for dumping treated sewage into the Gallatin River, Read more about Laying Down the Law: A Campaign to Preserve the West[…]
Ceramics is to Clay: Pueblo Connections to the Environment and Cultural Continuity
Pueblo pottery is a tangible element of ancestral ties to place and cultural continuity that is used to protect cultural landscapes. These landscapes face ongoing threats due to environmental contamination, energy development, and water management initiatives. Carine’s research aims to understand the reciprocal relationship between ceramics and the environment through understanding the process-of-making pottery as Read more about Ceramics is to Clay: Pueblo Connections to the Environment and Cultural Continuity[…]
Why did the Mormon cricket cross the road? Ask the people that live there.
In the Intermountain West, outbreaks of Mormon crickets (Anabrus simplex) are more than a nuisance—they are a reminder of the unruly rhythms of nature. Their sudden appearances can stall traffic, damage crops, and stir old stories, impacting not just the economy but the rhythms and relationships of life in the Great Basin. This research combines Read more about Why did the Mormon cricket cross the road? Ask the people that live there.[…]
Considering Water Allocation Models in Climate Vulnerable Regions
Water scarcity has long shaped western water law. This system, called prior appropriation, determines who can use surface water, how much, when, and for what purpose. Prior appropriation, founded by westward settler ideologies, reinforces unequal access to water and risk of scarcity among water users- especially during periods of shortage. Due to the development of Read more about Considering Water Allocation Models in Climate Vulnerable Regions[…]
The kindness of strangers in the remote open prairies—Isabella Goodman
The northern great plains aren’t the most social space, they aren’t your typical eco-tourism destination, and the vast endless wide-open space doesn’t necessarily cultivate a lot of human-to-human interactions. We sometimes go hours without seeing another car. This became apparent at the first site of my field work campaign. I am driving from southern Saskatchewan Read more about The kindness of strangers in the remote open prairies—Isabella Goodman[…]
Yarning: An Indigenous Knowledge Approach to Ethnographic Methods with Heritage Lands Collective—Carine Rofshus
My first week with Heritage Lands Collective, a non-profit organization dedicated to integrating Indigenous Knowledges (IK) into Tribal co-management of ancestral lands, was spent at the Bears Ears National Monument in southeast Utah. Bears Ears is the ancestral homelands of the Hopi, Ute, Navajo, Rio Grande Pueblos, and the Zuni. Joseph Gazing Wolf (Lakota/Amazigh/Nubian) and Read more about Yarning: An Indigenous Knowledge Approach to Ethnographic Methods with Heritage Lands Collective—Carine Rofshus[…]
Lessons from a Minolta X-700 —Alaina Geibig
My dad captured nearly my entire childhood on grainy-textured, saturated film prints. Recently, with him moving from the far side of Colorado, we endeavored to trim the photo contents of four sagging storage tubs. It was a slow task of recollection, necessitating hot tea and stories. With containers half-sorted, I noticed that the film record Read more about Lessons from a Minolta X-700 —Alaina Geibig[…]
Radiation Use Efficiency in the Western Great Plains
Aboveground net primary production (ANPP) in drylands is often estimated using the Monteith Model. This model relies on an estimation of radiation use efficiency (RUE), which is the amount of dry matter produced per unit of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation. While ANPP trends are well studied, RUE remains less explored, particularly regarding the role of Read more about Radiation Use Efficiency in the Western Great Plains[…]
Long-term Recovery of Herbaceous Production and Plant Functional Type Composition on Reclaimed Well Pads in the Jonah Field
Jianing is investigating how aboveground net primary production (ANPP) and plant functional type composition recover over time on reclaimed gas well pads and in adjacent undisturbed areas in Jonah Field. The Jonah Field, located in the Upper Green River Basin of southwestern Wyoming, is a major site of natural gas development within dryland ecosystems, where Read more about Long-term Recovery of Herbaceous Production and Plant Functional Type Composition on Reclaimed Well Pads in the Jonah Field[…]
Investigating Organic Soil Matter in the Sagebrush Ecosystem of Jonah Field, WY, Following Disturbance
Myroslav, under the mentorship of PhD candidate Damaris Chenoweth, is investigating how soil disturbances from gas development at the Jonah field affect the sagebrush ecosystem in Wyoming. His research focuses on understanding how well pad construction for hydraulic fracturing influences sagebrush regeneration— a key challenge for conservation. The project combines remote sensing and field-based methods. Read more about Investigating Organic Soil Matter in the Sagebrush Ecosystem of Jonah Field, WY, Following Disturbance[…]
Fire Training with Fire SIG – Nate McMullen
When Josie Valette and I took over as co-managers of the Fire Student Interest Group (SIG) last spring, we agreed on a goal: squeeze every drop out of the unique leadership opportunity we possibly could. The potential for educational and professional programming was limitless, and we wanted to make the most of it. So when Read more about Fire Training with Fire SIG – Nate McMullen[…]
Harnessing Wildland Firefighting for Risk Mitigation and Resiliency – Aidan Lyde
The sky turned a muted orange. Then the ash started falling. It fell down from the sky like snowflakes, coating every surface in a blackened soot. The wind picked up, carrying twirling debris along with it. A smoky haze filled the air that clutched your throat and stung your eyes. Noon became midnight, and for Read more about Harnessing Wildland Firefighting for Risk Mitigation and Resiliency – Aidan Lyde[…]
Fire, Training, and Stewardship in a Changing West – Steven Ring
On January 7th, I stepped out of a grocery store in Los Angeles and was hit by a smell I knew too well: burnt oak and sagebrush — the semi-sweet smoke of wildfire. Looking up, I saw columns of smoke rising into a cloudless sky. I hadn’t realized a fire was burning when I went Read more about Fire, Training, and Stewardship in a Changing West – Steven Ring[…]