Author: Josh Blake

Environmental Law as a Catalyst for Justice: Bridging Legal Frameworks and Grassroots Advocacy in Bozeman, Montana – Bella Amell

Posted on by Josh Blake

This summer, Bella is working with Cottonwood Environmental Law Center, a nonprofit organization based in Bozeman, Montana. Cottonwood aims to protect the people, forests, water, and wildlife of the American West primarily through conversation lawsuits and educational campaigns. Her work is focused on prosecuting the Yellowstone Club for dumping treated sewage into the Gallatin River, Read more about Environmental Law as a Catalyst for Justice: Bridging Legal Frameworks and Grassroots Advocacy in Bozeman, Montana – Bella Amell[…]

Ceramics is to Clay: Pueblo Connections to the Environment and Cultural Continuity – Carine Rofshus

Posted on by Josh Blake

Pueblo pottery is a tangible element of ancestral ties to place and cultural continuity that is used to protect cultural landscapes. These landscapes face ongoing threats due to environmental contamination, energy development, and water management initiatives. Carine’s research aims to understand the reciprocal relationship between ceramics and the environment through understanding the process-of-making pottery as Read more about Ceramics is to Clay: Pueblo Connections to the Environment and Cultural Continuity – Carine Rofshus[…]

Why did the Mormon cricket cross the road? Ask the people that live there – Li Murphy

Posted on by Josh Blake

In the Intermountain West, outbreaks of Mormon crickets (Anabrus simplex) are more than a nuisance—they are a reminder of the unruly rhythms of nature. Their sudden appearances can stall traffic, damage crops, and stir old stories, impacting not just the economy but the rhythms and relationships of life in the Great Basin. This research combines Read more about Why did the Mormon cricket cross the road? Ask the people that live there – Li Murphy[…]

Considering Water Allocation Models in Climate Vulnerable Regions – Alaina Geibig

Posted on by Josh Blake

Water scarcity has long shaped western water law. This system, called prior appropriation, determines who can use surface water, how much, when, and for what purpose. Prior appropriation, founded by westward settler ideologies, reinforces unequal access to water and risk of scarcity among water users- especially during periods of shortage. Due to the development of Read more about Considering Water Allocation Models in Climate Vulnerable Regions – Alaina Geibig[…]

Fire Training with Fire SIG – Nate McMullen

Posted on by Josh Blake

When Josie Valette and I took over as co-managers of the Fire Student Interest Group (SIG) last spring, we agreed on a goal: squeeze every drop out of the unique leadership opportunity we possibly could. The potential for educational and professional programming was limitless, and we wanted to make the most of it. So when Read more about Fire Training with Fire SIG – Nate McMullen[…]

Harnessing Wildland Firefighting for Risk Mitigation and Resiliency – Aidan Lyde

Posted on by Josh Blake

The sky turned a muted orange. Then the ash started falling. It fell down from the sky like snowflakes, coating every surface in a blackened soot. The wind picked up, carrying twirling debris along with it. A smoky haze filled the air that clutched your throat and stung your eyes. Noon became midnight, and for Read more about Harnessing Wildland Firefighting for Risk Mitigation and Resiliency – Aidan Lyde[…]

YSE Students Practicing Fireline Construction - Nate Mcmullen

Fire, Training, and Stewardship in a Changing West – Steven Ring

Posted on by Josh Blake

On January 7th, I stepped out of a grocery store in Los Angeles and was hit by a smell I knew too well: burnt oak and sagebrush — the semi-sweet smoke of wildfire. Looking up, I saw columns of smoke rising into a cloudless sky. I hadn’t realized a fire was burning when I went Read more about Fire, Training, and Stewardship in a Changing West – Steven Ring[…]