Gallatin Valley Earth Day continues its annual event series preceding the spring festival with a presentation this month. “Lost Connections: Uncovering the Impacts of Nearly-lost Keystone Species on Grassland Ecosystem Health” will be held Wednesday, April 8th, via Zoom. Avian ecologist Andy Boyce-Pero, Ph.D, will present during the 6:30pm talk.
Learn why the temperate grassland of North America is one of the most imperiled ecosystems on earth. This is mainly due to habitat loss – grasslands are being continually, and permanently, converted to cropland. Another major reason is the incredibly rapid and comprehensive loss of the region’s keystone species: bison, prairie-dogs and beavers.
During western expansion, these species were eradicated so fast, and so completely, that as a (Western) society we never fully understood their role in this ecosystem. Consequently, in the present day, we don’t understand their value in restoring this ecosystem. These lost ecological connections are sometimes intuitive, sometimes surprising, and will be the subject of this talk.
Find a registration link and additional event information at www.gallatinvalleyearthday.org. Details about the April 25th festival also available through the host website.
Gallatin Valley Earth Day encourages local citizen action to help protect our planet from right here in the Gallatin Valley. The group came together in creation of a Bozeman festival that celebrates this vital work. Learn more by visiting the aforementioned website. •
