Fostering land stewardship and conservation in the American West
through teaching, research, outreach and leadership.
program impacts 2019
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
Indy Burke, PhD
Michelle Downey, MS
Current Students
Latest news
Understanding the Role of Perennial Grasses in Sagebrush Establishment — Damaris Chenoweth
I recently returned from Southwestern Wyoming where I collected data over five weeks. The undisturbed Wyoming big sagebrush of the Jonah Field is dotted by disturbed plant communities, in which perennial grasses often dominate during the early stages of plant community recovery after well pad establishment. When well pads are reclaimed—the practice of returning soil Read more about Understanding the Role of Perennial Grasses in Sagebrush Establishment — Damaris Chenoweth[…]
Changing Narratives in a Pandemic Summer — Reid Lewis
When’s the last time you were dancing? Really going for it, with sweat and chaos and flashing lights? For me it was New Year’s Eve in a quaint, bizarre ballroom that seemed better designed for blackbox theater than a late night of revelry. It was warm and there was poor air circulation; a strange entry Read more about Changing Narratives in a Pandemic Summer — Reid Lewis[…]
2020 Decision Making: Considering loss in the time of Covid-19 — Margot Cumming
Every spring, many ecologists and students around the world gear up for field season. For most of us, it is the highlight of the year: traveling to study sites, seeing colleagues, spending the season outside, and collecting the all-important data. This spring in the northern hemisphere, however, when the Covid-19 pandemic gripped the world and Read more about 2020 Decision Making: Considering loss in the time of Covid-19 — Margot Cumming[…]
Highlighting the “Impacts of COVID-19 On The Rural West: Material Needs, Economic Recovery, Political Attitudes” Report from the Rural West Covid Project
Yale School of the Environment’s Professor Dr. Justin Farrell and his lab received National Science Foundation funding to research the impacts of Covid-19 on the rural West. The team worked rapidly and has published an initial report, “Impacts of COVID-19 On The Rural West: Material Needs, Economic Recovery, Political Attitudes”, which summarizes survey results from Read more about Highlighting the “Impacts of COVID-19 On The Rural West: Material Needs, Economic Recovery, Political Attitudes” Report from the Rural West Covid Project[…]
Now Hiring Students and Open House
Ucross High Plain Stewardship Initiative (UHPSI) is now HIRING graduate and undergraduate students enrolled in courses to work as research assistants or speaker coordinators during the academic year (September/Oct 2020– May 2021). Projects focus on applied conservation and stewardship issues in the West and collaborate with western partners. All work will be completed remotely. Information on how to apply and projects Read more about Now Hiring Students and Open House[…]
A River Saved: Yampa, Water, Energy, and Climate Change — Humna Sharif
The life of the Yampa River has many important lessons, it remains the wildest tributary to the Colorado River system and makes up a significant share of the Upper Basin’s water flows. The Yampa River provides a 3rd of flows to the Green River, which is the largest tributary to the Colorado River. With the Read more about A River Saved: Yampa, Water, Energy, and Climate Change — Humna Sharif[…]
Bottom-up, Big-tent Community Organizing — Darya Watnick
The Colorado Collaborative for Healthy Soils is a community-driven organization bringing together diverse voices of Colorado’s farmers and ranchers around soil health. The Collaborative works in a bottom-up, big-tent capacity to explore ways that soil health practices can be recognized, incentivized, and promoted at a state-wide level. I have been working on grant applications on Read more about Bottom-up, Big-tent Community Organizing — Darya Watnick[…]
Speaker Series Opportunities Available
Conservation Conversations Visit here to learn more and tune in! Conservation Conversations is a webinar series that will explore the conservation challenges of the future and identify specific policies, programs, and strategies to help secure the long-term health of the nation’s natural resources, wildlife, and landscapes, and broaden the benefits for all Americans. An unprecedented coalition of university centers from throughout the western United States are Read more about Speaker Series Opportunities Available[…]
FAQ for Student Research Assistants
Ucross High Plains Stewardship Initiative typically hires students, undergrad to PhD, to work as paid research assistants during September/October-May to complete conservation work for a western partner. This program is referred to as our Research Assistant program. The projects are selected by UHPSI staff and will be advertised early in the semester. Student applications for Read more about FAQ for Student Research Assistants[…]
Predicting the Future—Jon Michel
I don’t think I need to describe to anyone that we’re living through a very odd time. With everything going on in regard to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the looming threat of climate change, it seems like computer modelling of future conditions has become more relevant than ever. Attempting to model the future Read more about Predicting the Future—Jon Michel[…]
Exploring New Approaches to Grassland Conservation in Wyoming—Katie Pofahl and Humna Sharif
Two students from the Yale School of the Environment’s Ucross High Plains Stewardship Initiative teamed up with The Nature Conservancy in Wyoming to deepen the culture of conservation in these iconic grasslands. With over 13.2 million acres, the grasslands of Thunder Basin, Wyoming are part of a patchwork of federal, state, and private land that Read more about Exploring New Approaches to Grassland Conservation in Wyoming—Katie Pofahl and Humna Sharif[…]
Large landscapes Need Large-Scale Collaboration: Efforts to protect ecosystem diversity in the vast American West—Margot Cumming
Western landscapes create a set of unique challenges for natural resource managers because the ecosystems cover a vast area of land and include diverse environmental conditions. For example, alpine ecosystems have short growing seasons, grasslands are dry and turn fierce in the winters, and wildfires blaze through western forests seasonally. In addition, the species found Read more about Large landscapes Need Large-Scale Collaboration: Efforts to protect ecosystem diversity in the vast American West—Margot Cumming[…]
Understanding Community Perceptions of Recreation and Wildlife in Jackson, Wyoming
Bryce and Bea are working with the Northern Rockies Conservation Cooperative to investigate how to balance Jackson’s growing recreation habits while preserving existing ecosystems and protecting wildlife. This research is done in conjunction with a Social Science Working Group at the Bridger-Teton National Forest, as part of their 2021 Forest Plan Revision planning. Their primary Read more about Understanding Community Perceptions of Recreation and Wildlife in Jackson, Wyoming[…]
Mapping Resource “Neighborhoods” of Big Sagebrush — Damaris Chenoweth
Once covering nearly half of the American West, sagebrush ecosystems are now among the most threatened in North America. In the past century, climate change, human land use, shifting disturbance regimes, and the introduction of invasive plants have driven significant loss, fragmentation, and modification of sagebrush communities. As part of my research, I will characterize Read more about Mapping Resource “Neighborhoods” of Big Sagebrush — Damaris Chenoweth[…]
From Zero to 9,600 Organic Acres in Montana’s Great Plains — Tim Ibbotson-Sindelar
I arrived at the farm on a Saturday three weeks ago. I drove for three days from Philadelphia to Hill County, Montana. The land first became flat and mostly treeless in eastern North Dakota, where I spent my second night on the road. The third and final day of driving was uninterrupted flatness. Though while Read more about From Zero to 9,600 Organic Acres in Montana’s Great Plains — Tim Ibbotson-Sindelar[…]