Fostering land stewardship and conservation in the American West
through teaching, research, outreach and leadership.
program impacts 2019
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
Indy Burke, PhD
Michelle Downey, MS
Current Students
Latest news
Trouble in Paradise: Native Fish Entrainment in the Ditches of Jackson Hole, WY—Bryce Powell
The words “irrigation canal” conjure images of concrete systems and dirty water, but in Jackson, Wyoming, everything is touched by the finger of King Midas—at least upon first glance. Beneath a backdrop of golden fields, snow-capped peaks, grazing elk, and bright blue skies, you are liable to mistake irrigation canals for spring-fed creeks: cold, clear, Read more about Trouble in Paradise: Native Fish Entrainment in the Ditches of Jackson Hole, WY—Bryce Powell[…]
Complex Questions of Recreation Narratives about Wildlife Preservation in Jackson, Wyoming—Bea Portela
Over the course of this unprecedented COVID-19 summer, our project has gone through many iterations, though ultimately we decided to build on our interviews from the spring semester and conduct a literature review. By analyzing articles, newsclips, or blog posts, we sought to paint a picture of Jackson Wyoming’s outdoor recreation community and the intersecting Read more about Complex Questions of Recreation Narratives about Wildlife Preservation in Jackson, Wyoming—Bea Portela[…]
Inherding: The Concept, The Benefits, and its Feasibility—Cally Guasti
If you visit cattle ranches in most of the U.S., you’ll see two kinds of cattle grazing methods: the first is where cattle graze freely on the land, the second is rotational grazing. But on a ranch in May, Idaho, there is a third method, called “inherding.” With the inherding method, cattle are herded on Read more about Inherding: The Concept, The Benefits, and its Feasibility—Cally Guasti[…]
Relationship-based Farming: Biodynamic agriculture as an innovative approach for rethinking our food system—Viola Taubmann
Cow manure that has fermented in the soil over the winter while stored in a cow horn is mixed with water and stirred vigorously for one hour, regularly changing directions. This mixture is then applied to the soil in minuscule amounts before sowing to encourage healthy root growth. Sounds like a magic potion? This is Read more about Relationship-based Farming: Biodynamic agriculture as an innovative approach for rethinking our food system—Viola Taubmann[…]
The Underlying Market Forces that Enable Farms to Share Risk Across the Supply Chain—Tim Ibbotson-Sindelar
Our research project with Vilicus Farms focuses on how farms and the supply chain can partner to mitigate risk for both parties, and how the supply chain can reorient itself to share some of the risks that traditionally farms shoulder alone. The risks that the supply chain can particularly help shoulder include farms’ financial risks Read more about The Underlying Market Forces that Enable Farms to Share Risk Across the Supply Chain—Tim Ibbotson-Sindelar[…]
Who is leading the effort to conserve privately-owned grasslands in the West?—Laura González Mantecón
As I write this, surrounded by towering Douglas firs in the Pacific Northwest, I am very far removed from the open prairies of Central Montana, but for the past few months, my mind has often been wandering through the expansive Northern Great Plains. My student partner, Lani, and I have been working with the Range Read more about Who is leading the effort to conserve privately-owned grasslands in the West?—Laura González Mantecón[…]
Ranching the Hard Way—Lani Chang
“We’ve all chosen to do ranching the hard way” a rancher chuckles through the small illuminated rectangle on my computer’s desktop. My project partner, Laura González Mantecón, in the adjacent rectangle on Zoom asks him what he means by that. They’ve all chosen in one form or another to adopt practices that demand a lot Read more about Ranching the Hard Way—Lani Chang[…]
Open Standards for the Practice of Conservation—Grace Hilbert
No two conservation projects are the same, which is why the Conservation Measures Partnership (CMP) developed the Open Standards for the Practice of Conservation, also referred to as the Conservation Standards (previously the Open Standards). These Standards are an adaptable framework that brings together common concepts, approaches, and terminology to help make conservation efforts more Read more about Open Standards for the Practice of Conservation—Grace Hilbert[…]
Recording of Western Resources Fellow Presentations – Part 1
Hello everyone! Please click here to view the recording of presentations by 6 of our 2020 Western Resources Fellows. Each fellow presentation is about 10 minutes and below is the line-up: Abbey Warner Groundwater Conservation Easements in Southwest Colorado Margot Buckelew In-stream Flows in Colorado: Establishment and Opportunities Damaris Chenoweth Modeling Recovery of Big Sagebrush Read more about Recording of Western Resources Fellow Presentations – Part 1[…]
Elkhorn Mountain Conifer Density Survey
In partnership with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and Pheasants Forever in Bozeman, MT, our research assistant is using geospatial analysis and remote sensing to determine conifer density and potential encroachment in the Elkhorn Mountain region. Throughout western Montana there are forest communities which have not burned in decades. Lack of fire may lead Read more about Elkhorn Mountain Conifer Density Survey[…]
Western Speaker Series 2020-2021
Each year, UHPSI hosts a western speaker series focusing on conservation and stewardship issues in the American West. The series may be one focused event or several small events spanning several topics. The student assistants are currently working with UHPSI staff to plan presentations, career chats, or training by a series of western conservation professionals. Read more about Western Speaker Series 2020-2021[…]
Collaborative Rangeland Monitoring and Management in Montana
The Range Monitoring Group (RMG), a Montana collaborative that includes ranchers, scientists and non-profit conservation groups, has implemented a pilot project focused on using rangeland monitoring and collective knowledge to inform and improve land management. Our research team has partnered with RMG to identify key indicators to use in range monitoring and operationalize them for Read more about Collaborative Rangeland Monitoring and Management in Montana[…]
Exploring Inherding as a Grazing Practice for Conservation and Rangeland Health in West
UHPSI research assistants have partnered with Texas A&M University-Kingsville and a Wyoming ranch to study the feasibility of implementing inherding in the western U.S. Inherding is the practice of strategically herding cattle in a manner that prevents rangeland overuse, promotes livestock well-being, and facilitates natural-resource conservation. Unlike more conventional grazing strategies, inherding requires handlers to Read more about Exploring Inherding as a Grazing Practice for Conservation and Rangeland Health in West[…]
Innovative Risk & Reward Sharing Between Farmers and the Supply Chain for Biodynamic and Organic Grain, Pulse and Oil Seeds
UHPSI research assistants are working with Vilicus Farms to review and compile strategies for sharing risk and rewards across non-food supply chains and propose ways to implement and adopt them in the food supply chain. Vilicus Farms is a grain, legume, and oilseed farm located in the Northern Great Plains of Montana pioneering organic, ecologically Read more about Innovative Risk & Reward Sharing Between Farmers and the Supply Chain for Biodynamic and Organic Grain, Pulse and Oil Seeds[…]
Stillwater-Rosebud Water Quality Initiative
Our team is working to design and deploy a portfolio of GIS tools for the Stillwater Valley Watershed Council, focusing specifically on the Rosebud Creek. In its headwaters, the Rosebud Creek is a designated National Wild and Scenic River. Land use in the lower reaches of the Rosebud Creek’s riparian corridor has gradually transformed in Read more about Stillwater-Rosebud Water Quality Initiative[…]