Category: People

Modern Storytelling, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Difficulties of Trying to Convey Truth — Reid H. Lewis

Posted on by ucross-admin

Is it possible to tell a complete story? I mean, not a good story or a fun story or a scary story; a complete story? One that tells all the parts, doesn’t leave anything out? The type of story you finish and not only think “Wow, I have a holistic and entire understanding of blank,” Read more about Modern Storytelling, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Difficulties of Trying to Convey Truth — Reid H. Lewis[…]

Farming from afar — Darya Watnick

Posted on by ucross-admin

This summer I’m working as a summer fellow for Mad Agriculture. MadAg is working, as they put it, to “catalyze a regenerative revolution in agriculture that is beautiful, just, and inevitable.” MadAg works with farmers across the Mountain West, Southwest, Great Plains and Midwest to help them ecologically and economically. I had initially planned to Read more about Farming from afar — Darya Watnick[…]

Water in the Southwest and the New-Old Threat of Uranium Mining — Humna Sharif

Posted on by ucross-admin

Clean and safe water is one of the most precious resources anywhere in the world, but this is especially true for arid regions with growing populations. Southwestern US, known for being hot and dry, is getting even hotter and drier due to climate change. The Colorado River is the single most important source of water Read more about Water in the Southwest and the New-Old Threat of Uranium Mining — Humna Sharif[…]

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

Posted on by Downey, Michelle

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[…]

Saving Grasslands with Stakeholder Collaboration — Humna Sharif

Posted on by Downey, Michelle

Preview: Grassland habitats across the world are facing multiple threats due to anthropogenic changes, and species dependent on these ecosystems are suffering as a result. In North America, the Thunder Basin Region represents one of the remaining contiguous expanses of intact grasslands. There are conservation practices already taking place in Thunder Basin, and new approaches are Read more about Saving Grasslands with Stakeholder Collaboration — Humna Sharif[…]

Balancing Rights in the Context of Outdoor Recreation — Talia Niederman

Posted on by Downey, Michelle

As the number of outdoor recreationists expands due to a confluence of improved technology and social trends, humans and wildlife increasingly overlap in their demands for natural spaces. Over this past year, our UHPSI project team has explored this issue in the context of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. A dramatic and alluring landscape, this region Read more about Balancing Rights in the Context of Outdoor Recreation — Talia Niederman[…]

Rethinking What’s Important — Meghan Hills

Posted on by Downey, Michelle

I think it’s fair to say that I’ve spent my life training to be a scientist. It’s been the result of both nature and nurture, as well as a healthy dose of self-motivation to learn about topics that caught my attention at a young age and never quite let it go. Generally speaking, the subjects Read more about Rethinking What’s Important — Meghan Hills[…]

Wildlife-Friendly Ranching in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

Posted on by Meghanlata Gupta

Rory Jacobson and Anna-Sophia Haub worked with partners at the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, and the University of Pittsburgh to study ranchers’ perspectives on conservation and wildlife management in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. To understand the economic, social, and cultural drivers behind these perceptions and management strategies, they conducted formal Read more about Wildlife-Friendly Ranching in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem[…]

Climate Vulnerability in the Crown of the Continent

Posted on by Meghanlata Gupta

UHPSI students collaborated with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to assist with a Landscape Conservation Design (LCD). The Crown Managers Partnership created this design to model spatially-explicit future conditions in the Crown of the Continent ecosystem, which encompasses parts of Montana, Alberta and British Columbia. As a preliminary step in LCD development, our student research Read more about Climate Vulnerability in the Crown of the Continent[…]

Development of a Feasibility Tool to Evaluate Grassbank Potential in Thunder Basin, Wyoming

Posted on by Meghanlata Gupta

Our team worked with The Nature Conservancy Wyoming to research the feasibility of a creative approach to grassland conservation in the Thunder Basin region of Wyoming. The approach is called “grassbanking” and it brings together ranchers and conservation organizations to enhance environmental performance and ranching livelihoods by offering access to discounted grazing leases in exchange Read more about Development of a Feasibility Tool to Evaluate Grassbank Potential in Thunder Basin, Wyoming[…]

Highlighting Indigenous Relationships in the West: A Special Issue of Indigenizing the News

Posted on by Meghanlata Gupta

Indigenizing the News is a digital magazine dedicated to Native nations, cultures, and contemporary issues in North America. Through a special issue of the monthly newsletter, Meghanlata Gupta shared a variety of news articles, videos, and images that discuss how Indigenous communities collaborate with local, state, and federal governments to pursue shared management and conservation Read more about Highlighting Indigenous Relationships in the West: A Special Issue of Indigenizing the News[…]

Western Speaker Series

Posted on by Meghanlata Gupta

The Western Speaker Series connects conservation professionals and Yale students to explore and discuss a range of issues facing land stewardship in the American West. The Symposium Coordinators worked with UHPSI staff to plan presentations, career chats, and technical training by western conservation professionals that provide our students with valuable knowledge and insight. The 2019-2020 Read more about Western Speaker Series[…]

Impacts of Recreation on the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

Posted on by Meghanlata Gupta

In partnership with the Northern Rockies Conservation Cooperative, UHPSI research assistants investigated trends, conditions, and projections surrounding recreation in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) to identify possible recreation ethics for the region. Growing negative impacts of recreation on the ecosystem necessitated a reevaluation of attitudes surrounding recreational access and growth. Through conversations with participants in Read more about Impacts of Recreation on the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem[…]

Solar Feasibility Study for Tensleep Preserve in North Central Wyoming

Posted on by Meghanlata Gupta

UHPSI research assistants worked in partnership with The Nature Conservancy’s Tensleep Preserve, located in North Central Wyoming, to conduct a solar feasibility study for the preserve. Renewable energy technologies like solar and wind play an increasingly important role in building rural energy independence and resilience. Efforts to pursue this study were in response to the Read more about Solar Feasibility Study for Tensleep Preserve in North Central Wyoming[…]

Investigating the Socioecological Importance of Pinyon Forests for Paiute Communities in the Great Basin

Posted on by Barendregt-Ludwig, Kristin

Paul’s project investigated socioecological change affecting Paiute communities in California and Nevada. It examined the cultural importance of pinyon forests on lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service and focused on the development of new approaches to forest management that promote Paiute traditional foods and silvicultural practices. The Great Basin is experiencing increasing frequency of Read more about Investigating the Socioecological Importance of Pinyon Forests for Paiute Communities in the Great Basin[…]