Native Prairie Speaker Series

October Native Prairie Speaker Series – Webinar

Fostering Community, Collaboration, and Coexistence in the Sturgeon River Plains Bison Herd’s Stewardship

About this Webinar:
Saskatchewan was once home to multitudes of plains bison, roaming wild and free across this prairie province’s native grasslands. But did you know that a wild herd of plains bison still calls this province home? One of only two wild, unfenced and free-roaming plains bison herds within this species’ original Canadian range, the Sturgeon River plains bison herd (SRPBH) inhabits the sedge meadows and fescue grasslands of southwestern Prince Albert National Park (PANP). The SRPBH plays an important ecological and cultural role in this landscape and is valued by many individuals and groups, with particular significance for local First Nations and Métis communities. However, the herd is also the source of ongoing conflict. Privately owned agricultural landscapes border the southwestern boundary of PANP – a tempting buffet for an unfenced herd of wild plains bison. The SRPBH seasonally forages in these park-adjacent lands, creating jurisdictional governance complexities and impacting local livelihoods; conflict persists despite official (and unofficial) mitigation efforts. Beyond the social and cultural implications of this herd’s presence, there are concerns over the SRPBH’s future viability since their population has declined by 50%. In this talk Mia Nemeth will discuss how (under the supervision of Dr. Clinton Westman) she gained insight into the diverse perspectives, interests, and concerns influencing the SRPBH’s stewardship. By overviewing her numerous land-based encounters, in-depth interviews, informal conversations, and the quantitative survey used, she aims to emphasize local perspectives and community insights and highlight how this research can help ensure that future collaborative stewardship is effective, representative, and reconciliation minded.

About the Speaker:
Mia Nemeth is an Environmental Anthropology graduate student at the University of Saskatchewan. She focused her undergraduate studies on environmental anthropology and multispecies issues, driven by a deep connection to, and curiosity for, wildlife and the environments they call home. Throughout her academic journey, and experiences working in applied conservation and nature interpretation, she became increasingly interested in how social and cultural factors shape people’s relationships to the natural world, and how these perspectives influence environmental stewardship. She feels fortunate to be able to apply her experiences and passion for wildlife conservation to her master’s research in her home province of Saskatchewan. She lives in Saskatoon with her partner Éric and their cat Krickett (who chirps like a cricket).