Our research assistant team worked in partnership with the Sheridan Community Land Trust to develop a conservation planning mapping tool to guide future private land conservation efforts. They incorporated a variety of spatial data from public sources to help SCLT prioritize and direct its funding and outreach in cooperation with its organization’s goals to protect wildlife and working ranches in Sheridan County.
Conservation mapping helps to identify existing land use types, property ownership status, and level of existing protection. Sheridan and the surrounding counties contain important wildlife habitat for Greater Sage-Grouse and mule deer, as well as ecologically significant riparian areas associated with the gushing Powder and Tongue Rivers. The research team also analyzed opportunities to protect habitat connectivity to the important ecological areas that are managed by state and federal agencies. As climate change continues to affect wildlife habitat and vegetation composition of natural communities, connectivity across the landscape will be critical to maintaining protecting wildlife species.
Collaborator
Sheridan Community Land Trust | Website
Project Deliverable
Ucross_SCLT_ConservationPlanning
Student Researchers
Charlotte Stanley, Research Assistant | Charlotte is a Master of Environmental Management student at the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, focusing on improving conservation efforts and mitigating climate change through geospatial analysis. For her summer internship at F&ES, Charlotte mapped community conservation areas and analyzed land cover change in Eastern Zambia to obtain carbon credits for sustainable farmers. Prior to F&ES, she coordinated public education on recycling and sustainability for the NYC Department of Sanitation and managed curriculum development at Urban Green Council. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science from UCLA. | Blog
Lauren Stoneburner, Research Assistant | Lauren is a Master of Environmental Management candidate at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, focusing her studies on urban ecological conservation. Having grown up in southern California, she is intimately familiar with reconciling L.A.’s dual identity of being known for its magnificent nature and urban sprawl. In her career, Lauren hopes to manage protected areas in a way that preserves the landscape’s ecological viability, fosters smarter urban growth, and enables people of all backgrounds to connect meaningfully with nature. See what Lauren has been up to. | Blog
Michael Storace, Research Assistant | Michael is a Masters of Environmental Management candidate at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies where he is studying ecosystem conservation and land management. He is interested in planning conservation to achieve landscape scale habitat connectivity for both ecological function and social benefit. With the Ucross High Plains Stewardship Initiative, Michael is conducting geospatial analysis of conservation planning and prioritization in northeastern Wyoming. Michael graduated from the University of Vermont with a BS in environmental studies and focused on environmental policy and water quality. See what Michael has been up to. | Blog
Sophie Tyack, Research Assistant (Coursework) | Sophie Tyack is a second year MBA/MEM candidate at the School of Management and School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and is interested in the intersection of data analytics and sustainable development. Prior to Yale, Sophie worked as a research analyst at an environmental consulting firm where her work ranged from natural resource damage assessment cases to system dynamics modeling. Originally from Boston, Sophie holds a B.A. with High Honors from Princeton University, where she studied Classics and Environmental Studies. See what Sophie has been up to. | Blog