Discover how this MSES alum is helping reintroduce bison to Indiana’s prairies—showing the powerful impact of conservation and the lasting influence of her MSES degree.
Description of the video:
IU's reintroducing the bison as a mascot. It's an incredible mascot in terms of its size and its influence.
For many years, we had prairie up at Kankakee Sands, but no bison. And then in 2016, 23 bison were reintroduced. Over time, our herd has grown to over a hundred strong and their job was to do exactly what bison do, manage through grazing. And through their actions of eating and chewing, they've changed the landscape.
Conservation work is really important because it's what keeps us healthy, communities healthy. Every day on the prairie is impactful. The work of conservation involves on the ground work, but it also involves the policy. So, the O'Neill School offers a really nice perspective. There's so many careers now in conservation, whether that's office-based work or in the field work. And that is critical to making sure that our natural places are available for years to come.
The advice I would give to an aspiring conservationist would be to get out there, try things, push yourself, go beyond your comfort zone. The skills that would benefit you are so many. Networking, partnering, finding creative solutions with people. The O'Neill School really prepared me well. It got me ready and confident.
Someone that's interested in bison conservation can help by giving their time, donating dollars, and then just spending time in nature.
The bison is a great mascot for Indiana University. It's strong. It's super smart. It really makes a big impact in the world, much like the students of Indiana University.
