Fostering land stewardship and conservation in the American West
through teaching, research, outreach and leadership.
program impacts 2021
Ucross High Plains Stewardship Initiative (UHPSI) within the Yale School of the Environment focuses on stewardship and conservation in the American West. At its core, UHPSI seeks to engage in teaching, research, and outreach on land stewardship, primarily through mentoring students on applied research and management projects with western partners.
OUR TEAM
Justin Farrell, PhD
Michelle Downey, MS
Current Students
Latest news
Fire Training with Fire SIG – Nate McMullen
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
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[…]
Fire, Training, and Stewardship in a Changing West – Steven Ring
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[…]
Home (on the) ranges of pronghorn: The Brownian bridge movement model – Jeremy D. Pustilnik
Understanding how animals use space is a central question in movement ecology, and home range estimation is a key tool for answering it. Home ranges represent the areas an animal regularly uses to meet its biological needs, such as foraging, resting, and mating. Over time, ecologists have developed a variety of methods to estimate home Read more about Home (on the) ranges of pronghorn: The Brownian bridge movement model – Jeremy D. Pustilnik[…]
Learning from Peer Mountain Towns: How Communities are Rethinking Transportation– Kathleen Maeder
As a research assistant with the Ucross High Plains Stewardship Initiative, I have spent the past six months supporting the Town of Crested Butte, Colorado in identifying strategies to promote walking, cycling, and transit usage in place of car dependency. As our research team analyzed the challenges facing Crested Butte’s transportation system, we learned of Read more about Learning from Peer Mountain Towns: How Communities are Rethinking Transportation– Kathleen Maeder[…]
Transportation Strategies for Crested Butte, Colorado– Joshua Hernandez
Over the last several months, I have worked with my colleagues Kathleen Maeder and Quinn Raymond on transportation strategies for Crested Butte, Colorado that emphasize walking, biking, and transit. We prepared a report presenting our findings, drawing from research, case studies, and discussions with Crested Butte contacts. One strategy that has emerge from this process Read more about Transportation Strategies for Crested Butte, Colorado– Joshua Hernandez[…]
Using Science, Mapping, and Innovation to Foster Human-Beaver Coexistence in Montana — Xiaofan Shen
As the biggest rodent on land, beavers are remarkable engineers, transforming landscapes with their dam-building expertise. These excellent hydrologists create ponds that profoundly impact annual streamflow, stream velocity and groundwater recharge (Naiman et al., 1988; Pollock et al., 2015). Beyond habitats for beavers, these ponds also stand as the central hubs for dynamic wetland ecosystems. Read more about Using Science, Mapping, and Innovation to Foster Human-Beaver Coexistence in Montana — Xiaofan Shen[…]
Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems- Joshua Kesling
Second year Master of Environmental Management student Joshua Kesling recently published an article in Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems. The piece addresses freshwater and riparian ecosystem conservation strategies across Intermountain Western United States National Forests. Moreover, Kesling discusses the importance of measuring how outdoor recreation involving the use aquatic resources affects ecological integrity. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.70057
2024 Annual Report
Check our UHPSI’s newly released 2024 Annual Report! Read about student projects, impacts, and journeys from the past year.
Mountain recreation areas often overlap with ecologically valuable conservation sites. Why we need to augment outdoor recreation research now– Joshua Kesling
Mountain recreation areas often overlap with ecologically valuable conservation sites. Why we need to augment outdoor recreation research now. Each year, millions of Intermountain Westerners rise to high elevations, step across shallow streams to access trailheads, creep across ephemerally wet meadows, observe gregarious wildlife through groundwater fed seeps, and park on roadway shoulders to photograph riverine Read more about Mountain recreation areas often overlap with ecologically valuable conservation sites. Why we need to augment outdoor recreation research now– Joshua Kesling[…]
Enhancing Public Transit in Crested Butte, Colorado—Kathleen Maeder
Crested Butte, a mountain town located high in the Colorado Rockies, prides itself as a community infused with creativity, authenticity, and a deep sense of connection to the Town’s unique history and character. Yet the Town is at a crossroads: to preserve the qualities that make Crested Butte so beloved, it must reduce its car Read more about Enhancing Public Transit in Crested Butte, Colorado—Kathleen Maeder[…]
Building Bridges: Mapping Beaver Conflicts and Solutions in Montana
Effective mapping can be a crucial tool for managing human-wildlife interactions that benefit both people and nature. In partnership with the Montana Beaver Conflict Resolution Program at the National Wildlife Federation, UHPSI research assistant Xiaofan Shen is creating two interactive mapping tools to visualize beaver conflicts and highlight successful mitigation strategies across Montana. One map Read more about Building Bridges: Mapping Beaver Conflicts and Solutions in Montana[…]
Understanding the landscape factors that influence habitat selection and movement for Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) in southwestern Montana
Pronghorn are an iconic wildlife species that inhabit the western interior of North America as they roam widely over vast expanses of rangeland, often sharing the landscape with nearby human communities. UHPSI research assistant Jeremy Pustilnik is collaborating with biologists at the National Wildlife Federation and the Southwest Montana Sagebrush Partnership to model pronghorn habitat Read more about Understanding the landscape factors that influence habitat selection and movement for Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) in southwestern Montana[…]
Transforming Transportation in Crested Butte, Colorado
Our student research assistants are developing strategies to transform the transportation network in Crested Butte, Colorado from automobile-centric to one that prioritizes buses, cycling, and walking. In collaboration with Town officials, the team is conducting a comprehensive analysis of the Town’s recent transportation plan, evaluating public feedback, and identifying relevant case studies of similar Western municipalities. These efforts aim to uncover Read more about Transforming Transportation in Crested Butte, Colorado[…]
Keeping Track of Ungulate Trails— Jeremy D. Pustilnik
At the end of the 20th century, scientists dissolved Ungulata. “Ungulata” was not a brand of dish soap or a chemical, rather, it was a taxonomic grouping that described “hoofed mammals.” Molecular evidence showed that elephants were only distantly related, and that whales were actually very closely related, to such animals as horses and cattle Read more about Keeping Track of Ungulate Trails— Jeremy D. Pustilnik[…]