Within a single human lifetime, tens of millions of bison were killed until less than a thousand individuals remained in all of North America. The story of bison conservation in Canada is one of twists and turns, involving dramatic roundups by Blackfoot and Mexican cowboys, epic train journeys, "lost" national parks, near-ruinous mistakes, and no small amount of luck. Despite over 120 years of hard work, many conservation challenges still face bison today. Learn the story behind the bison in Canadian national parks!
When: Thursday, January 20th @ 7 PM CT (5 PM PT / 6 PM MT / 8 PM ET / 9 PM ATL)
Speaker: Lauren Markewicz, Sierra Club Prairie Chapter Executive Committee
Lauren is a public historian who has come to specialize in the history of bison. She is the author of Through the Storm: Canada's Bison Conservation Story, a book dealing with the twists and turns of the history of bison conservation in what is now Canada, in both images and text. She has worked at various historic sites and natural areas in Western Canada. She likes to spend time on the landscape, hiking and camping, and thinking a lot about the human relationships with and impacts on the land and the other creatures that live there.
Photo courtesy of Parks Canada