New Hampshire Audubon Seacoast Chapter

Wednesday May 12, 2021 7:30 pm Eastern Time (US and Canada) Zoom Program: The American Prairie Reserve

Betsy Robinson and Steve Gehman, who have had careers as wildlife biologists and naturalist guides, will present an introduction to the ongoing effort to create a 3 million acre prairie reserve in central Montana. They will discuss some of the unique characteristics of the prairie ecosystem and will feature some of their favorite birds and experiences from their time documenting bird species presence and abundance on the Reserve. Other topics include the value of prairie dogs and the presence of native large mammals and carnivores, and the importance of establishing a large herd of free-ranging bison.

Bio: Betsy and Steve both grew up in the East, followed different paths westward, and then pursued careers as wildlife biologists and naturalist guides. They met while working for National Audubon’s Camp in The West at Dubois, Wyoming. They later married and founded Wild Things Unlimited, a non-profit organization that they ran for 22 years. Operating out of Bozeman, Montana, they conducted studies of wolverines, Canada lynx and grizzly bears in the northern Rocky Mountains, as well as prairie birds in central Montana. Between 2005 and 2013, Betsy and Steve spent parts of four summers documenting bird species presence and abundance on the American Prairie Reserve. They moved to New Hampshire in 2019 and live in Hillsborough with their two golden retrievers.

All are welcome to attend our Wednesday May 12, 2021 program via Zoom. The Zoom program Meeting begins at 7:30 PM, but feel free to sign on early after 7 pm to socialize. You may need to download Zoom to attend the program.

Please register in advance for this meeting. You can register right up through the start time.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

For more information see our website. Cancellations will be announced on the programs page.

The Seacoast Chapter of NH Audubon thanks AARP New Hampshire for their sponsorship.

Photos: Ferruginous Hawk; American Prairie Reserve, by Steven Gehman.