Last week in the field was a tough one for the Buffalo and our hearts here at Camp. And, as I write, between 200-210 of our last wild Buffalo were captured by Yellowstone National Park this week and are currently being confined in the state and federal governments' trap in Gardiner, MT.
Read our Press Release: Yellowstone Traps Wild Buffalo Again!
This after 6 bison were killed by hunters, a momma and yearling were struck and killed by a vehicle on Hwy 191, and several were killed by wolves. Harvested by wolves is the natural way of things...but capture for slaughter and quarantine are the workings of the the decades long and catastrophic Interagency Bison Management Plan.
BFC believes the best solution for the Buffalo is to bring Tribes to the decision making management table to conserve Buffalo and exercise their treaty rights. The same old same old is not working! Let's try something new by accessing Traditional Ecological Wisdom.
Buffalo are a matriarchal family ~ this beautiful female is just stunning!
Last Wednesday evening during our Night Rove Patrol, a female Buffalo and her yearling were struck and killed by a vehicle at 9:30pm, near the Madison bridge on Hwy 191 which runs parallel to Yellowstone National Park's western boundary line. While we maintain our road presence with our "Buffalo on Road" signs, we continue to lose our friends sacred beings, and keystone species presence in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
BFC advocates for Safe Passages & Wildlife Crossings as part of our ongoing programming and at that Madison River crossing. Yet, the lasting effects of the 30 year failure called the IBMP (see link above) are dead bison on our roadways & captured Buffalo languishing in traps. The continued hazing of Buffalo across Highways 191 and 287 as well as Montana's zero tolerance policy for wild bison have disallowed Buffalo to create family herds across public lands and native habitat.
This photo honors the strength & care of our Buffalo Matriarchs - here a momma trails her yearling to ensure their safety
Our last wild Buffalo live with the full complement of predators, like the Yellowstone wolf packs. They have the ancestral knowledge of how to survive & pass it on to the next generation.
A Call to Action in poetic form by Miguel Nestingtree
Submitted by BFC Volunteer, Nathan Rome
shifting focus
weekends whittled away
sliding on new age distractions
that elicit chemical happiness
which placates the masses
we aren't trained to think
but to grease the machine of corruption
the problem is apparent to those looking
though none can accept the solution
trapped by "leaders" held in pockets
of a greedy few in control
who dole out quick glances upon
delicate glass roses that they hold
how long will it take to return
to the harmonic balance we burned
that favors collaboration
over infinite competition
when will we see wind carved pockets,
fragile snowy stones growing fast
on hybernating mountains
while wind decorates it's canvas
instead of a business opportunity
that robs ecosystems blind
except for eye-catching features
leaving little else behind
BFC Volunteer Nathan Rome on ski patrol
I came to volunteer in the field with BFC not knowing fully what to expect. Of course I knew the mission of the campaign but you can never really know whats coming your way when you go into the field. For the past 30 or so years the co-founder Mike has been living around the herds of Buffalo. It's clear he has taken a lot of lessons from them. He leads by doing, like a Buffalo. He roams around the deep snow like a Buffalo. He is always learning from the people and things around him, like a Buffalo. When faced with a metaphorical storm, he charges ahead, like a Buffalo to a literal storm. And he protects the herd, like a Buffalo.
The other core group that works here full time follow the same ethics. They aren't called managers or bosses, they're coordinators. They don't boss people around, they coordinate the various tasks to be done around camp, always helping the volunteers when there is work to be done around the property. Here, the ideas of the people "in charge" aren't the final say, the best idea wins and everyone here recognizes that the best ideas can come from anyone.
I came here and found a community that has spent so much time with the Buffalo that they all started to act like their own little herd. A nucleus of seasoned members pass on their knowledge and experience to the newcomers, and the new members of the herd bring their own knowledge and experience. Even the oldest bison can learn from a yearling.
The past weeks I spent here have been full to the brim with experience. I've mastered the art of cross country skiing during daily excursions into the field, learned the nuances of bison migration and hunting rights and found their favorite spots to hang out in the winter. If you know where to look, the snow tells you stories. It can tell you where bison have been grazing. It can tell you where to find a fox den. It can tell you where an unlucky mouse was snatched up by a watchful bird.
Back at the cabin, the snowbanks that have grown with every storm remember the extracurricular activities. A sledding course, complete with a jump, streaks down the hill. Skinny lines and deep footprints in the front yard remind us where we practiced skiing. Dents next to the abandoned school bus are canon ball holes in an above ground pool that never splashes.
Inside the cabin feels like a time capsule you can walk around in. The main building, older than any living person, has had upgrades of course; new wood stoves that sit next to the original fireplace and heat the building, a gas stove and a VHS player complete with movies from its time. The phone-free common area is a welcome reprieve from the technology infested world outside.
My winter excursion to BFC headquarters is nearing an end but it will live on in my memory forever. I'm fortunate to live close by so I'll be sure to help out the herd again when I can.
With the Buffalo,
Nathan
