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[…]

UHPSI Black Lives Matter Solidarity Statement and Reading List

The Ucross High Plains Stewardship Initiative stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and all Black people and communities in the pursuit of justice and a world without police violence and all other forms of anti-Black racism. This movement is not a singular movement—it is part of a centuries-long history of Black resistance Read more about UHPSI Black Lives Matter Solidarity Statement and Reading List[…]

Op-Ed: Don’t just cheer wildland firefighters as heroes. Give them affordable healthcare — James F. Puerini and Gerald Torres

James F Puerini, masters of forestry candidate, and Professor Gerald Torres have recently published an excellent op-ed focused on wildland firefighter’s access to healthcare. Please visit the link below to read their op-ed published in the Los Angeles Times. Op-Ed: Don’t just cheer wildland firefighters as heroes. Give them affordable healthcare — James F. Puerini Read more about Op-Ed: Don’t just cheer wildland firefighters as heroes. Give them affordable healthcare — James F. Puerini and Gerald Torres[…]

Annual Report 2019 — Michelle Downey

Please find our 2019 annual report below. We are incredibly grateful for all the partnerships and collaborations that have allowed UHPSI to provide over 65 students with experiential learning opportunities during 2019. Thank you to our students, partners, and supporters! Full PDF 2019 Annual Report here.

Summer 2023 Opportunities


Funded Student Summer Experiences in Colorado

(Visit back in January, we will have these same positions open for summer 2024)

Developing and Testing Long-term Ecological Monitoring Protocols for Land Practitioners in South-Central Colorado 

Summer Experience Description

During the last year, our YSE team has collected field data at the ranch, studied ecological monitoring strategies, and drafted initial long-term monitoring protocols for the ranch. We are currently seeking Yale students to field test and implement these monitoring protocols at the ranch in Colorado during summer 2022. Student work this summer will directly contribute to our efforts to develop and test monitoring for the ranch and study important land management questions.

The monitoring protocols aim to answer key ecological questions about natural resources at the ranch to inform future land management decisions. Students will implement monitoring over a variety of areas on the ranch, which are likely to include riparian areas, sagebrush ares, and high-elevation forests.

Download the PDF below for more details and learn how to apply.


Western Resources Fellowship

Application Period Closed for 2023

Big Sandy Lake, Wind River Range. Photo Credit: Carli Kierstead

student-driven query involving research, an internship, or management project during the summer. 

Ucross High Plains Stewardship Initiative at YSE provides fellows with a financial award, logistical assistance, and mentorship to aid with a summer experience that will have a high impact on conservation, stewardship, or management of natural resources in the Rocky Mountain or High Plains regions. This program supports Yale graduate and undergraduate students completing a summer work that will provide them with practical experience, leadership skills, and/or research experience that will prepare fellows for their future careers. A financial award of up to $8,000 will be granted to each fellow. Fellows will actively participate in peer mentoring with other fellows and will receive guidance from UHPSI staff during the summer.

Read more about past fellows work: 2021 |Past fellowships.

How to Apply
Please apply using the Yale Students Grant Database by March 18, 2023. More information about applications materials can be found in PDF below along with general fellowship expectations.


View 10-minute presentations by each 2020 Western Resources Fellows by clicking here.




Land Management Field Practicum – Not offered in 2023

 

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Funding the Future of Conservation: A GreenLight Ideation Session with Colorado Parks and Wildlife — Franklin Eccher

Colorado, like many western states, faces a sticky problem: its outdoor spaces are being loved to death. The problem is multi-fold, a product of the transient recreational eco-tourism industry, but also of its influx of permanent residents. Colorado’s population is projected to double from five million to ten million people from 2010 to 2050. The Read more about Funding the Future of Conservation: A GreenLight Ideation Session with Colorado Parks and Wildlife — Franklin Eccher[…]

Western Research Fellows present at F&ES Research Day 2018

We were so excited to see several Western Research Fellows present their master’s thesis at the 34th Annual F&ES Research Day on April 20th, 2018. Research Day is an annual research conference for F&ES research Masters and Doctoral students to present original research to their peers and the public. To download the Research Day Program, Read more about Western Research Fellows present at F&ES Research Day 2018[…]

Further Reflections on RALLY! — Ben Williamson

“If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.” –Ethan Winter, New York Senior Program Manager for the Land Trust Alliance. Over the last weekend of October, I attended the annual Land Trust Alliance Rally in Denver. Besides soaking in the dry air I grew up in, I spent a whirlwind of a weekend, Read more about Further Reflections on RALLY! — Ben Williamson[…]

RALLY! — Jeff Conti

Anyone looking for injections of enthusiasm and creative ideas in the world of land conservation needs to head to the Land Trust Alliance annual Rally – better known as RALLY! The 2017 Rally convened at the Denver Convention Center from October 26th-28th for a weekend of workshops, presentations and connections. As someone relatively new to Read more about RALLY! — Jeff Conti[…]

Rethinking Greenhouse Construction

In our recent stakeholder meeting, a few participants spent time discussing the application of season extension practices to enhance crop production in the region. These practices enable crops to be grown for a longer period of time each year, increasing overall yields and spreading out income-generating periods. In these regions, light is often blamed for Read more about Rethinking Greenhouse Construction[…]

Farmers and Ranchers are Getting Older

UHPSI is concluding a short-term study looking at the changing demographics among farm and ranch operators across the state of Wyoming. Using agricultural records dating back to the 1920s, it has been possible to extract meaningful statistics on how these groups have changed over time. Here we show the change in the average age of Read more about Farmers and Ranchers are Getting Older[…]