Sentinel | Summer 2018

A PUBLICATION FOR MEMBERS AND FRIENDS OF AMERICAN PRAIRIE RESERVE | SUMMER 2018

Our mission is to create the largest nature reserve in the continental United States, a refuge for people and wildlife preserved forever as part of America’s heritage.

CONTRIBUTORS

Becky Lonardo, Editor and Creative Director Travis Campbell, Graphic Designer Ellen Anderson Lars Anderson Jen Anderson Damien Austin Alison Fox Scott Heidebrink Laura Huggins Daniel Kinka Kyran Kunkel

BOARD OF DIRECTORS George Matelich, Chair Gib Myers, Vice Chair Keith Anderson, Treasurer Jay Abbe Clyde Aspevig David A. Coulter Steven N. Cousins Alison Fox Sean Gerrity Helga Haub Liliane A. Haub Tim Kelly Bill Lively Jacqueline Badger Mars Susan Matelich Jeff Miller Nancy Mueller Susan Myers Jeffrey Talpins Mara Talpins

COVER PHOTO by Scott Siemens Inside Photo by Reid Morth P.O. Box 908 | Bozeman, MT 59771 (406) 585-4600 | mail@americanprairie.org americanprairie.org

M N P V /americanprairie 2

A note from Alison Fox, CEO In the introduction to their anthology The Wide Open, Annick Smith and Susan O’Connor wrote that prairies, with their vast scale and often demanding nature, “challenge the imaginative mind and the adventurous heart.” They continue, “Their open spaces, relationship with sky, the secrets they hold in hidden places, and their unlikely abundance have inspired America’s artists and writers from prehistory to the present.”

The stories in this edition of The Sentinel make it abundantly clear that the prairie continues to inspire the American Prairie Reserve community – from avid birders to researchers and technologists from Smithsonian and National Geographic.

The prairie itself inspired me to take the helm of this organization this spring. I feel privileged to do so, my experiences as a staff member over the last decade peppered with so many fond memories of discovering the “unlikely abundance” of the landscape. To name a few recent highlights, witnessing a greater shorthorned lizard enthusiastically cupped in the hand of an awed visitor and watching a herd of more than 50 pronghorn move together like a school of fish across the snow-covered prairie.

We are now positioned better than ever to welcome you to experience the prairie that we all love so much. This summer we open the Founders Hut and The John and Margaret Craighead Hut on our PN unit at the confluence of the Judith and Missouri Rivers. I was fortunate to be part of the first two groups to stay in these huts, and I couldn’t be more pleased to open these affordable, comfortable, well-appointed, and educational facilities to our members and the public alike. Whether you come with your mountain bike, trusted hiking boots, binoculars, or all of the above, you will find the huts a perfect home base, a place to challenge your imaginative mind and your adventurous heart. Thank you for supporting our work and moving this mission forward.

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IT TAKES A VILLAGE

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Photo by Gib Myers.

SAVING THE ENDANGERED BLACK-FOOTED FERRET MEANS FIRST BOOSTING ONE KEYSTONE SPECIES The story of saving the gravely endangered black-footed ferret really begins with the prairie dog. The American Prairie Reserve (APR) landscape is the native home of the black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus), and APR is laboring to greatly increase prairie dog numbers in the next three years.

That’s not just because prairie dogs are clever, highly vocal, and charismatic. It’s also that they are a keystone species for the entire prairie ecosystem. More than 150 species either prey on or rely upon them to thrive. Black-footed ferrets fall into both categories — they dine almost exclusively on prairie dogs and also make their homes in prairie dog burrows — so a steep drop in dogs is also a death knell for ferrets. One ferret can eat up to 100 prairie dogs in a year, so that means a lot of prairie dogs are needed.

“Prairie dogs have been dramatically declining since the 1900s due to loss of habitat, humans killing them, or disease, and are currently estimated to be only about 2 percent of their former population,” says Dr. Kyran Kunkel, Director of Wildlife Restoration & Science at American Prairie Reserve. “Prairie dogs need to saturate about 2000 acres in order to be able to re-introduce the black-footed ferret to the Reserve.”

By Truly Herbert

and APR is hoping to bring ferrets back to the landscape, but first must make the conditions conducive to their survival.

Healthy populations of prairie dogs are paramount.

because, she says, “American Prairie Reserve shares our vision of helping native North American wildlife and habitats thrive — this is one of my favorite places and projects!”

LITTLE HEROES OF THE PRAIRIE

MOWING GRASS ON THE PRAIRIE?

Burrowing owls and other raptors, snakes, badgers, coyotes, swift foxes, mountain plovers, insects, plants, and even bison are just some wildlife that benefit from the busy little prairie dog. For instance: prairie dogs eat grasses, then return valuable nutrients to the soil for species like bison, and they keep vegetation in check for others like the mountain plover, which needs relatively open ground to make nests and forage for insects.

Surprisingly, another prairie dog restoration method used on the Reserve is cutting down grass and removing some tall vegetation in specific areas near existing prairie dog towns. Prairie dogs need to see predators coming, so increasing sight lines encourages them to expand their ranges.

PRAIRIE DOG RESTORATION PROJECTS American Prairie Reserve is embarking on and growing a number of projects to boost prairie dog populations.

Projects of this scale often require partners, and this is no exception. APR works each year with the Prairie Dog Coalition of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and the Defenders of Wildlife on teams to help APR scientists and staff dig starter prairie dog burrows, place nest boxes in the ground, and treat existing colonies to prevent disease.

NEW PRAIRIE DOG RESEARCH PROJECT Beginning this summer, American Prairie Reserve is welcoming a new postdoctorate fellow program in partnership with the Smithsonian Institution. The program’s ultimate goal is to re-introduce black-footed ferrets to Reserve lands by 2021 (pending approvals from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, of course). The project will include mapping and ground surveys, and APR hopes that scientific papers will follow.

Though the fate of the endangered blackfooted ferret and many other species rest with the prairie dog, projects like these sing a true song of hope. American Prairie Reserve is carefully preparing for a good home for ferrets for years to come.

Currently, most of the remaining blackfooted ferrets are in captive breeding programs in an effort to save the species,

Noelle Guernsey, Program Manager of The Prairie Dog Coalition at HSUS, loves to do the APR restoration work each year

WATCH PRAIRIE DOG RESTORATION IN ACTION:

READ MORE:

GET INVOLVED:

https://www.americanprairie.org/news-blog/ prairie-dogs-build-diversity-across-plains

SUPPORT our work, donate

https://youtu.be/FJLrpYv13JY https://youtu.be/0pEIFREILvM

and visit us today.

https://www.americanprairie.org/at-risk/ black-footed-ferrets

americanprairie.org/give americanprairie.org/visit

https://www.facebook.com/ HSUSPrairieDogCoalition/ http://www.humanesociety.org/about/ departments/prairie_dog_coalition/index.html SENTINEL

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MOVING BISON

W

By Stephen Camelio

RESTORING A LIFELINE In accordance with a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) enacted between the InterTrbal Buffalo Council and American Prairie Reserve, APR has agreed to send a certain number of animals of a designated sex and age to the tribal lands. The MOU stipulates that the reservations receiving the animals must be able to adequately care for them and have the natural resources needed for the bison’s continual inhabitation of the land.

“We have a great, mutually beneficial partnership with the InterTribal Buffalo Council (ITBC),” says Scott Heidebrink. “By transferring bison to the reservations, we are able to protect the resources and ecology of the Reserve landscape, while also helping the tribes get bison back onto as much tribal land as possible.”

According to ITBC executive director Arnell Abold, there are many reasons the tribes want bison on their properties. “The restoration of bison to tribal lands represents a healing of our people, the animals, and the land,” Abold explains. “Indian people have a connection to bison and we bring them back to Indian Country in order to preserve our historical, cultural, traditional, and spiritual relationship for future generations.”

This year, APR sent animals to the Blackfeet Nations of Montana, Fort Belknap Indian Reservation in north central Montana, Fort Peck Reservation in northeast Montana, and Pe’Sla, a sacred site in South Dakota that the Great Sioux Nation recently purchased from private landowners and the government.

American Prairie Reserve’s relationship with Native American tribes goes beyond just shipping bison to tribal lands. Over the years, the organization has developed strong ties with many of ITBC’s members, especially with neighboring communities like Fort Belknap.

These relationships allow the Reserve and tribal bison managers to share management techniques and scientific data related to the bison. It also has allowed APR to better understand the tribes’ connection to these animals and has given APR employees the chance to participate in events with tribes, including contributing to pow wows and working with tribal schools.

Photos by Heather Cousins.

WINTER BISON MOVE Movement. During the pre-Columbian era, it was a key element of survival in the northern Great Plains for animals and humans alike as millions of bison would graze across the landscape and Native Americans would follow them. While today that type of mobility is limited, movement continues to be important to the health of bison and the plains, and is one of the reasons why American Prairie Reserve (APR) transported more than 200 animals to new homes this winter.

“We move the animals to maintain bison populations in each unit on the Reserve,” says Reserve Operations Manager Damien Austin. “Each unit has been analyzed for available forage to set up a stocking rate of the number of bison per property.” When that stocking rate is exceeded it can adversely affect the ecological health of the prairie.

“An overpopulation of bison can damage the landscape and soil as a result of trampling, and harm vegetation through overgrazing,” explains reserve assistant Ellen Anderson. “Harm to the environment can manifest itself both in terms of not giving plants a chance to recover and reducing the quality of forage for bison and other animals.”

As part of American Prairie Reserve’s mission to restore the habitat to its natural state, intervening into the daily activities of animals is not taken lightly. “We don’t move bison unless we need to,” says Austin. “We treat the bison as much like wildlife as possible, but we also understand the importance of these animals to other conservation herds, so when the need arises we look at giving some away or moving some to other properties.”

Following that management philosophy the moving process is done in a manner that is as hands-off as possible. First, the animals are slowly baited with hay into a large enclosure.

Once a sizable number of animals have been corralled, they are guided into an array of intricately-constructed gates, alleys, and squeeze chutes – designed using bison management best practices and influenced by methods developed by Temple Grandin.

“To reduce stress on the bison, the operation is done in the winter to keep the animals from overheating,” notes Anderson. “There is no touching of the animals and we stay toward the back half of the bison whenever possible.” The animals are guided through the chutes using only a flag on a four-foot long stick and the quiet body motions of the wranglers who stand on the catwalks up above the structure to remain out of the bison’s line of sight.

“We really try to read each animal’s body language and movements,” says Bison Management Specialist Scott Heidebrink. “By doing that, you can tell which bison are ready to break away from the pack and you can use that natural instinct to guide them safely into the chute.”

Once reaching the squeeze chute, each animal is inspected and some are chosen for shipping to American Prairie Reserve’s partners that have been designated to receive the animals.

This deliberate collection of the animals also allows for taking fecal and blood samples, which are tested for parasites, DNA testing, and screened for a long list of diseases including brucellosis. “In terms of being free of cattle genes and having diverse genetics, we have the gold standard of bison,” says Heidebrink. “That’s a big reason why other conservation herds request our animals when it comes time for us to move them.”

During the corralling, age and sex is also determined, which are the key demographics that determine which animals will remain with their current herd and which animals will be moved. This year, older males and females with the unique DNA of the original animals brought from Canada’s Elk Island National Park and Wind Cave National Park were left with their herd or moved to the Reserve’s White Rock property.

Then, to mimic natural selection, animals two-years old and younger were selected for distribution to APR’s partners in the InterTribal Buffalo Council and to the House Rock Valley Wildlife Area in Arizona. In total, 104 animals were removed from Sun Prairie North during the December 2017 move and 189 were removed from Sun Prairie during the January 2018 move.

These animals will populate new American Prairie Reserve lands or add diversity to existing herds, thereby contributing to the recovery of America’s bison population and thus moving the organization one step closer to restoring the land back to a fully-functioning ecosystem.

WATCH: americanprairie.org/moving-bison

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SOARING TO CONSERVATION SUCCESS: BIRDS OF THE PRAIRIE

By Truly Herbert

B

irds, those humble, flitting wonders, play a star role in the life of the prairie.

With more than 300 varieties that visit or call American Prairie Reserve (APR) their home, Reserve lands provide ideal, diverse habitats for avian species.

Take the Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus), a carnivorous songbird that impales its prey on sharp objects, then caches the feed for later; or the Longbilled Curlew (Numenius americanus), a beautiful shorebird that uses the prairie as its mating grounds. The rich grassland of Reserve lands welcome interesting species like the 8

Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia), which nests in abandoned prairie dog burrows and hunts in the daylight; or the famed GreaterSage Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), whose dramatic mating ritual entrances all who behold it.

These birds and many more are an important part of the balance of the ecosystem — as predators, prey, seed spreaders, and even as indicators of the land’s health.

“Grassland birds are the fastest declining types of birds in North America,” according to conservation biologist and APR National Council advisor, Dr. Curt Freese, “and some species are endemic to

the area, so can only survive in the unique environment that the prairie offers.”

The prairie is special in that it is has traditionally contained both short and tall grasses, forbs and shrubs, plus riparian areas that shelter and feed all manner of diverse species.

IMPORTANT BIRD AREAS (IBAs)

The lands that encompass and surround the Reserve are part of an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA), a designation established by Bird Life International (based in the United Kingdom) and monitored by the Audubon Society in the U.S.

“

GRASSLAND BIRDS ARE THE FASTEST DECLINING TYPES OF BIRDS IN NORTH AMERICA,

”

ACCORDING TO CONSERVATION BIOLOGIST AND APR NATIONAL COUNCIL ADVISOR, DR. CURT FREESE,

F E R RUGI N OUS H AW K

APR’S EFFORTS ON BEHALF OF WILDLIFE AND US IBAs are lands with rich or significant vegetation, are on birds’ migratory pathways, link to other such areas for sustained conservation, and are responsive to conservation efforts when implemented.

By altering the natural vegetation for grazing, croplands, or development throughout the U.S., humans have transformed the prairie so much that in some areas, the landscape is becoming uninhabitable for birds and other native species that have resided there for millennia.

The Reserve’s IBA covers an extensive region of primarily continuous sagebrush shrub-steppe and prairie grassland, according to Dr. Kyran Kunkel, APR’s Director of Wildlife Restoration & Science, so restoring the land to its natural state is a huge win for birds.

Photo by Dennis Lingohr.

“At American Prairie Reserve, we are aiming to recreate the habitat that birds and other species evolved with,” says Freese.

A significant part of reclaiming the prairie for birds is, ironically, the re-introduction of a much larger species, the bison. As opposed to cattle grazing, bison grazing patterns are heterogeneous, so they move around the landscape in an uneven way, leaving some grass patches tall and munching on others, and that behavior allows different species of birds to thrive. Then, natural and controlled fires burn away the taller grasses and return crucial nutrients to the soil, which makes for better bison grazing, and the cycle goes on.

Additionally, fences cause a great deal of bird mortality. Low-flying birds can crash into fences, and tall structures often upset the predator/prey balance by giving more advantage to the

predator because of higher sight lines.

By removing or marking fencing, burying power lines, and taking down poles and unused buildings, APR is returning the land to its natural state.

Though APR has removed 70 miles of fencing thus far, there are hundreds of miles left to dismantle. Through the hard work of staff and the dedication of volunteer groups, a natural, protected prairie is resurging for birds, wildlife, and humans to enjoy.

And, with the promise of a thriving wildlife community, APR and the surrounding area are sure to enjoy birders’ ecotourism dollars through an increasing number of visitors to the area. A 2015 study published in the PLOS Biology journal found that $600 billion dollars are spent on ecotourism yearly.

NOW THAT’S SOMETHING TO CHIRP ABOUT.

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Q A &

with avid Reserve birders

We asked a few of our bird enthusiasts to answer five important birding questions and here’s what we learned.

First, meet the birders.

SCOTT HEIDEBRINK:

NORA GRAY:

Photos by Dennis Lingohr, Keith McHugh, David Shumway, and Erika Skogg.

Donor and frequent visitor, Birding for 20+ years

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Bison Management Specialist, Birding for 23 years

DAMIEN AUSTIN:

SHANE SATER:

Smithsonian Institute Grassland Ecology Intern, Birding for 5+ years

Reserve Operations Manager, Birding for 17 years

AEOWYN AUSTIN:

Age 9 Daughter of Damien Austin Birding for 4 years

Q: Tell us about your favorite bird sighting experience.

NORA: A favorite bird sighting happened with two friends as we hiked with our spotting scopes above 9500 feet in Nevada’s Ruby Mountains to see the (non-native) Himalayan Snowcock. Their pre-dawn calls helped our search of the huge rock wall above us. Their calls are very distinctive, rather like an ill, bugling elk. We finally spotted a family of 10 in our scopes high on the wall. Their ability to camouflage astounded us, as they seemed to disappear by moving a few steps. How fortunate for us that there were 10 of them and not just one or two to spot!

SCOTT: After looking for two years, I finally saw Mountain Plovers. I was in a Reserve prairie dog town with a group of partners and volunteers and we saw two adult Plovers and three juveniles.

SHANE: Hard to choose — many of my recent favorite birding experiences have taken place on a grassland-stream complex near Helena, Montana where I have been doing regular bird surveys for the last year. One anecdote in particular is the Vesper Sparrows I saw last August. After singing and presumably nesting over the spring and summer, they had begun to flock in impressive groups: 20-35 on a survey, among the tan dry grasses along the creek.

DAMIEN: The first year we lived on the Reserve we stumbled across a Willet nest with eggs. The mother flushed off the nest right in front of us, flew straight into the air then came down about thirty feet from us and disappeared! We looked for her but she was so well camouflaged that we never saw her again.

AEOWYN: I saw a Ruby-throated Hummingbird in our garden.

Q: What is the most unique or rarely seen bird that you have seen on the Reserve?

NORA: About 10 years ago on the Reserve, my husband and I were in a group led by the enthusiastic and wonderful Dr. Gordon Orians, University of Washington ornithologist and ecologist, who thrilled us with sightings of Mountain Plovers that often nest near prairie dog towns.

SCOTT: In May 2016 I saw a juvenile Summer Tanager on the Dry Fork Unit. I believe there have been less than a dozen sightings in Montana.

SHANE: The night I arrived at the Enrico Center, I heard a Long-eared Owl singing from the vicinity of Telegraph Creek. These small but spirited owls nest in that sort of edge habitat, with shrubby cover, old Corvid nests (reused by the owls to rear their young), with open country nearby for nocturnal foraging.

DAMIEN: Chestnut-collared Longspur AEOWYN: I have seen an Ovenbird just this year.

Q: What do you love about birding on the Reserve?

NORA: I love the variety of birds one can see on the Reserve throughout the year. There is so much variety in terrain that provides good habitat for many species.

SCOTT: I love the mix of habitats that the Reserve offers, from upland, wetland, riparian, to the pine trees in the breaks. You can visit a different habitat type every time you’re out or visit several in the same trip, which allows you to see a wide variety of birds.

SHANE: I love learning about eastern Montana’s landscape through birds. There is so much variability here from one spot to another, even though the prairie might seem monotonous to someone driving across it.

READ MORE: americanprairie.org

Finding nests is another thing I love. Almost all of the nests I’ve found have surprised me, as a bird flushes from concealment in a shrub or the

grasses, literally at my feet. Finding these nests is a window into these birds’ well-hidden lives – another way to get to know my bird neighbors.

The Brewer’s Sparrow who flushed from a squat sagebrush shrub a few days ago showed me a finely-woven grass basket with two lightly speckled sky-blue eggs and one hatchling. For all the nests I’ve found, I suspect I’ve walked within a few feet of many more, the parent birds bravely sitting tight until I’ve passed.

DAMIEN: The bird ecology of the Reserve is so expansive, there are always new things to learn about how each bird fits into its niche.

AEOWYN: I get to see and learn about new birds, I love all the colors and patterns.

Q: What is your favorite bird of all time?

NORA: The Western Meadowlark, our harbinger of spring, whose elegant breast colors and beautiful, ethereal songs fill me with appreciation for nature and its wondrous web of life.

SCOTT: Western Meadowlark SHANE: They’re all my favorites.

DAMIEN: All of them.

AEOWYN: Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Q: What is at the top of your birding life list?

NORA: the Hoatzin in the Peruvian Amazon or the Lilac-breasted Roller in South Africa SCOTT: Sprague’s Pipet SHANE: I would say a Yellow-billed Cuckoo in Montana. These birds are apparently quite rare, or at least very rarely seen, and they generally need healthy riparian corridors for nesting. Finding one would be more than a neat sighting – it would be important from a conservation standpoint as well.

DAMIEN: The entire American Prairie Reserve and Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge bird check lists.

AEOWYN: Penguin

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Photo from Crittercam.

REC

THE PRAIRIE’S BEST

veryone sees the world a little differently. Imagine the difference between you and a bison! In January 2018, a new collaboration kicked off between American Prairie Reserve (APR) and National Geographic to help scientists see where animals run into trouble as they move across the land. Using compact wildlife cameras known as Crittercams, the Reserve’s bison became the latest species to try out the technology.

E

A TECHNOLOGY GARDEN National Geographic inventor-biologist Greg Marshall created the first Crittercam in the 1980s and it has since been used on wildlife from bears to whales. Unlike camera traps, 12

where recording devices are placed in one location and wait for wildlife to wander by, lightweight and unobtrusive Crittercams are worn by animals themselves. Depending on the animal and what scientists hope to learn, Crittercams can capture what’s in the animal’s line of sight as well as collect sound, location, and other information.

Partnering with the Crittercam team to test the technology was an ideal match for APR as we work to monitor a large-scale project area.

Dr. Daniel Kinka, the Reserve’s new Wildlife Restoration Manager, is overseeing the initial field test on bison along with Dr. Kyran Kunkel, the Director of Wildlife Restoration and Science.

Daniel sees the collaboration as a good fit for the Reserve, which is remote but still accessible compared to testing sites in Africa’s parks. “More and more, the Reserve is serving as a ‘technology garden’ for organizations like National Geographic that are developing better ways to track and study wildlife, both on the ground and in the air.”

COLLARING BISON WITH CAMERAS When American Prairie Reserve’s bison herd was rounded up this past winter, it proved to be a good opportunity to take Crittercams for a test drive. Four female adult bison were selected to wear a collar with a camera, battery, and a radio signal for tracking. The collars were programmed to drop off after several weeks.

00:15:34:87

ST PHOTOGRAPHERS Once the Crittercams were ready to be retrieved, Daniel went on the hunt by foot — and on skis — using an antenna to pick up on the collar’s radio frequency. With so much room for bison to roam, the process of finding the collars gave him plenty of time to get more familiar with Reserve lands.

LOOKING AHEAD Beyond getting great footage, Crittercams collect data that biologists like Daniel can use to solve on-the-ground issues, like adjusting or removing fences where migrating animals get stuck. At the same time, the National Geographic team has an opportunity to hone the technology in ways that save battery life or use more sophisticated programming. “At this point, it’s more about the coding than the cameras,” Daniel explains.

For example, it might be possible to program Crittercams using the Reserve’s mapping data about fence lines. Photos could be taken automatically when an animal is near a fence or if it moves along a fence rather than across it. These are the types of scenarios that the collaboration is working to address.

In the future, Daniel hopes to be able to use what they learn to deploy Crittercams on

By Katy Teson

pronghorn. Rather than taking a 50,000-foot view of the prairie, wildlife managers will know where pronghorn encounter human-made and natural barriers and be able to see what they look like, from snow barriers to specific types of fences.

Of course, we’re also excited to share Crittercam footage with the public when it’s ready. As Daniel says, “Who wouldn’t want to put themselves in the hooves of a pronghorn?”

” AS WE COME TO UNDERSTAND THESE ANIMALS, WE COME TO CARE... AND WE WORK TO CONSERVE.” — Greg Marshall, Crittercam creator SENTINEL

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MEMBER SPOTLIGHT:

Kirk Hohenberger Donor since 2011, Monthly Sustaining Member, Prairie Legacy Society Member

Photos courtesy of Kirk Hohenberger.

Childhood in suburban California didn’t offer Kirk Hohenberger much exposure to nature. And it wasn’t until he found a passion for falconry – the thousandsyear-old sport of keeping, training, and hunting with falcons or other birds of prey – that he formed a relationship with nature. After a move to Northeastern Montana, where the habitat to support his hobby of falconry was abundant, Hohenberger began raising his own Peregrine Falcons for hunting upland game birds.

Now a retired commercial airline pilot with more than 30,000 hours under his belt, Hohenberger has an appreciation and a vested interest in the prairie ecosystem and is concerned about its future.

“As a retired pilot, I got to see the prairie from the air and saw millions of acres of 14

grasslands being plowed up. There is only a fraction of the prairie ecosystem still intact in the U.S.; it’s the fastest disappearing ecosystem in the world.”

“I see less wildlife now than when I started falconry and I believe that wildlife is disappearing because their habitat is disappearing.” As a falconer, Hohenberger hunts with his Peregrine Falcons, but has less opportunity to do so because of the disappearing wildlife and upland game birds.

“The prairie ecosystem needs to be saved, but it has been completely overlooked. Perhaps because it’s not considered to be as beautiful as the mountains, but that doesn’t make it any less important.”

Hohenberger expressed worry over the future of the prairie ecosystem.

To combat the loss that he has seen

from the sky and firsthand with his falconry, he chooses to support American Prairie Reserve through a monthly sustaining membership and also with a planned gift through the Prairie Legacy Society. Now Hohenberger is able to immediately see his monthly gift at work through the restoration and preservation efforts of American Prairie Reserve, and he also has peace of mind that his legacy gift will continue to have a positive impact on the prairie ecosystem.

American Prairie Reserve uses a member-based model to preserve and restore the prairie ecosystem.

Thank you to Kirk, and to all of our members, for playing a critical role in preserving and restoring this truly special place.

Four Great Strategies for Intentional Giving Contributed by Travis Hartman, CTFA and American Prairie Reserve member Whenever I work with people who are charitably inclined, I always encourage them to “give wisely.” Rather than being reactive in nature and donating simply to offset a tax liability, we work on developing planned giving strategies that make significant impacts on the nonprofits they support. Here are four of my favorite strategies that may help you make a larger impact with your giving:

1.

Name a Non-Profit as the Beneficiary of your Retirement Plans.

Qualified 501(c)3 non-profits are not required to pay income tax. As such, your gift of tax-deferred assets (IRAs or 401Ks) at death will allow the nonprofit to receive the full amount of your donation without you or your heirs ever having to pay income taxes. As a bonus, the full value of the gift can be deducted off your estate tax return as a charitable contribution.

2.

Use Life Insurance to Leverage your Gifting Power.

If you want to make a significant impact but only have a specific amount budgeted each year for gifting, consider using life insurance to leverage your gift. Instead of giving $1,000 each year to be used for general purposes, think about turning those annual gifts into premium payments and endow your favorite charity with a $100,000 future gift. Additionally, if you have old life insurance policies that are no longer needed, consider naming a non-profit as the beneficiary rather than cashing them in.

3.

Use a Charitable Remainder Trust.

If you still need the use of your assets during life but want to leave a lasting

Photo by Gib Myers.

legacy when you pass away, consider using a charitable remainder trust (CRT).

Once these trusts are funded, you will receive a recurring distribution from the trust (typically 5%) every year for the rest of your life. Upon passing away, the remaining assets left in the trust will be given outright to the non-profit(s) of your choice. And even though your gift won’t be made for many years in the future, the IRS allows you to take a current year tax deduction based on the expected value of the gift.

4.

Wills, Bequests & Deeds.

This continues to be a simple and effective way to take care of the organizations you care about. Consider leaving assets in your estate plan directly to non-profits via bequests in your will or through a beneficiary deed with real estate.

The strategies addressed here are for informational purposes only and don’t constitute a recommendation of any kind. You should consult with your financial advisor and tax professional to see if these strategies are right for you.

Travis Hartman serves as the fiduciary trust and estate specialist for US Bank in Bozeman, Montana. He is an avid outdoorsman and passionate about wildlife, public lands, and habitat conservation.

Visit https://www.americanprairie.org/ planned-giving to learn more about our planned giving program, the Prairie Legacy Society, and explore how you can leave a lasting impact for this and future generations.

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Maya Lin

2018 Ken Burns American Heritage Prize Recipient Named in honor of America’s most revered visual historian and documentary filmmaker, the Ken Burns American Heritage Prize recognizes individuals whose achievements have advanced our collective understanding of America’s heritage and the indomitable American spirit. The candidates are chosen by a National Jury of distinguished leaders who represent communities across the country and share a common appreciation of America’s heritage. American Prairie Reserve is proud to honor Maya Lin as the recipient of the 2018 Ken Burns American Heritage Prize.

Maya Lin is an artist, designer, and environmentalist who interprets the natural world through science, history, politics, and culture.

Lin created her first work, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, as a 21-year-old undergraduate at Yale University. The design redefined the concept of a monument and stands as one of the most powerful memorials of our time.

Ms. Lin’s highly acclaimed body of work demonstrates her capacity for art and architecture, as well as shows her steadfast commitment to explore critical aspects of the nation’s history and culture, including civil rights, women’s history, environmental issues, and Native American history. Her works merge the physical and psychological environment, presenting new ways to see the world around us and connect to and learn from history.

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Photo by Jesse Frohman.

Lin’s art explores how we experience and relate to nature, setting up a systematic ordering of the land that is tied to history, memory, time, and language. Her interest in landscape has led to works influenced by topographies and natural phenomena. Her work asks the viewer to reconsider nature and the environment at a time when it is crucial to do so. A committed environmentalist, she is working on her last memorial, “What is Missing?”; a cross-platform, global memorial to the planet, located in select scientific institutions, and online as a website (whatismissing.org) calling attention to the crisis surrounding biodiversity and habitat loss.

A member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Lin has been profiled in TIME, The New York Times Magazine and The New Yorker, among many other media outlets. The 1996 documentary about her, Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision, won the Academy Award for Best Documentary. In 2009, she was awarded the National Medal of Arts, the nation’s highest honor for artistic excellence. In 2016, President Barack Obama awarded Lin the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, praising her for a celebrated career in both art and architecture, and for creating a sacred place of healing in our nation’s capital.

Photo by Walker Milhoan, of Moline Ranch.

American Prairie Reserve Partners with Strauss Brands Strauss and American Prairie Reserve are dedicated to making a difference – better for the animals, better for the earth, and better for you.

American Prairie Reserve is pleased to announce a strategic partnership with Strauss Brands, a national leader in ethical and sustainable livestock practices. To support American Prairie Reserve’s mission, Strauss Brands is working to source livestock from the Reserve’s Wild Sky® ranch partners.

American Prairie Reserve’s Wild Sky® program is an initiative that provides tools and financial incentives to ranchers who voluntarily implement wildlife-friendly practices, such as installing wildlife-friendly fencing.

Ranchers living around the project area and in identified wildlife corridors are encouraged to participate.

Randy and Tim Strauss, third generation owner-operators, have continuously

sought to evolve Strauss’ commitment to responsible agriculture.

This includes supporting sustainable pasture management through their 100 percent U.S. grass-fed beef program, which aims to benefit the environment by reducing soil erosion and protecting water quality.

With the company’s commitment to give back to American Prairie Reserve, Strauss customers also help support wildlife-friendly ranching practices through their purchase of Strauss Free Raised® grass-fed beef.

“Strauss customers can feel good about purchasing our all-natural grass-fed beef, raised as nature intended,” said Randy Strauss. “By partnering with the Reserve’s Wild Sky® program, we will be sourcing high-quality, 100% grass-fed livestock while also helping to support the most ambitious conservation project in the United States.”

Wild Sky rancher Mike McCabe talking with Strauss live stock manager Ann Kolthoff.

Cattle on the McCabe Ranch.

“I am thrilled to reach the point where our Wild Sky® ranching partners are showcased in stores and customers are able to learn about both wildlife-friendly ranching practices and American Prairie Reserve.”

— Laura Huggins, Director of Corporate Partnerships at American Prairie Reserve

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GRAND OPENING

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Celebrate the inaugural year of the new Hut-to-Hut System with a stay at the Founders Hut and the John and Margaret Craighead Hut. Located on the PN in the Myers Great Western Gateway, the huts are the perfect getaway for hikers, bikers, birders, and friends of American Prairie Reserve.

Visit americanprairie.org/visit to reserve your space.

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If you can’t make it to the Reserve in person, here are a few ways you can join us in spirit!

fuel your

wanderlust

Our Towns: A 100,000 Mile Journey into the Heart of America

Yellowstone Migrations

The Life and Death of Kid Curry

by Joe Riis

by Gary A. Wilson

by James Fallows and Deborah Fallows

“This read was particularly interesting given American Prairie Reserve’s and Wild Sky’s work – in the Reserve area, as well as in wildlife corridors between Yellowstone, Glacier, and the Reserve – to remove or improve both physical and social barriers to wildlife’s natural dispersion and migration tendencies.”

“This book details the story of Kid Curry – an outlaw and gunman who was part of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’s Wild Bunch gang. Much of the book takes place in and around the area of the Reserve, so it’s really fun to learn the infamous history surrounding landmarks we see here on a daily basis.”

— Mike Kautz, Visitation Manager

– Scott Heidebrink, Bison Management Specialist

“Authors Jim and Deb Fallows visited the Reserve and the surrounding communities a few years back and stayed at our Enrico Education and Science Center. They’ve included a full chapter on American Prairie Reserve in this book that is capturing how middle America is bridging the political divide on a local level using practical and creative solutions.”

— Sean Gerrity, Founder and Managing Director

FEATURED PARTNER: GRIP6 Grip6 is known for its high-quality minimalist belts. With the company’s growing success and appreciation for the American West, Grip6 felt a need to give back and do their part to support causes they believe in. The Conservation Series “Buffalo Belt” helps support American Prairie Reserve with 10% of profits going straight to our mission. Grip6 selected APR because of our dedication to conservation of bison, one of our country’s most vital and iconic species. Check them out at grip6.com.

Become a monthly sustaining member and take an active role in restoring and preserving the prairie ecosystem.

NEW: Active Monthly Members giving $10 a month or more in 2018 will receive a 2019 American Prairie Reserve desktop calendar at the end of this year!

2019

CALENDAR

Visit americanprairie.org/give to update your membership today.

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P.O. Box 908 | Bozeman, MT 59771