Rewilding and the Promise of American Prairie

Join Daniel Kinka, Director of Rewilding, American Prairie to learn how American Prairie is helping bring back wildlife like bison, beavers, prairie dogs, swift foxes and other species that were found on the grasslands & prairies 200 years ago (and more), in addition to learning how American Prairie is fostering responsible cattle grazing, recreation, and hunting on the prairie landscapes - our most threatened ecosystem.

Two hundred years ago central Montana was the very portrait of wildness. Between about 1830 and 1890 the wildlife of the region were decimated and the frontier closed. Montana still holds one of the largest areas of intact prairie habitat on the continent with some of the greatest species diversity anywhere in the Great Plains, but these grasslands are being converted to croplands at an alarming rate. Further, artificially suppressed and shrinking abundance of numerous bird and mammal species threatens the overall functioning and resilience of the ecosystem itself.

Join us to learn how American Prairie seeks to restore a vast and fully-functioning prairie ecosystem around the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge, that contains ecologically meaningful populations of all non-extinct native species, with management focused on maximizing the integrity, complexity, and resilience of the system. In practice this includes the return of bison, the proliferation of prairie dogs, the natural recolonization of grizzly bears, and much, much more. Part of a global movement to rewild the world around us and restore hope to conservation, our efforts focus on shifting land use practices, habitat restoration, and increasing social carrying capacity for wildlife.

About Daniel Kinka
Daniel Kinka is American Prairie's Director of Rewilding. His primary responsibilities include restoring and monitoring both wildlife and habitat at American Prairie, and working to promote coexistence between public wildlife and private landowners. He also acts as a liaison to scientists conducting research at American Prairie and other rewilders throughout the world. He joined American Prairie in 2018, shortly after completing his doctoral degree in ecology at Utah State University. In graduate school, he studied the use of livestock guardian dogs to promote coexistence between large North American carnivores and ranchers. Originally from Florida and the Washington DC area, Daniel has enjoyed living “out west” since 2010. In addition to restoration ecology and applied science, Daniel harbors a deep passion for science communication, having worked as a science reporter for Utah Public Radio and serving as a National Geographic Society Fellow.

Presented by Gallatin Valley Earth Day & Yellowstonian in partnership with American Prairie