Dr. Fred Provenza, professor emeritus in the Department of Wildland Resources at Utah State University, will discuss the interconnection of humans, livestock and the landscape, and how this relationship has changed over time in a free lecture at the High Desert Museum on Saturday, November 14.
Dr. Provenza’s program, Our Landscapes, Our Livestock, Ourselves, will cover how the Web of Life extends beyond plants, animals and soils to include eco-development, human behavior, land and wildlife management, and nutrition. “Understanding landscape level ecosystem dynamics can serve to strengthen how we view stewardship of natural resources in the future.” said Dr. Dana Whitelaw, executive director of the Museum.
During his 40-year career, Dr. Provenza conducted groundbreaking research that laid the foundation for what is now known as behavior-based landscape management. His team’s research also led to the creation of an international network of scientists and land managers known as BEHAVE (Behavioral Education for Human, Animal, Vegetation and Ecosystem Management). The team strives to help groups apply new and more efficient practices that benefit animals, the environment and even businesses that manage the land.
Dr. Provenza worked on a ranch near Salida, CO while earning a B.S. in Wildlife Biology from Colorado State University, and then earned his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in range Science from Utah State University. In addition to his teaching and research, Provenza has written two books about livestock management: Foraging Behavior: Managing to Survive in a World of Change and co-authored with Michel Meuret, The Art & Science of Shepherding: Tapping the Wisdom of French Herders.
“Dr. Provenza’s program dovetails beautifully with our new exhibit, Sage Grouse: Icon of the Sagebrush Sea,” said Dr. Dana Whitelaw, executive director of the Museum. “Both the lecture and the exhibit deal with important issues facing ranchers today.”
The lecture is part of the Doc and Connie Hatfield Sustainable Resource Lecture Series held annually at the Museum. The Hatfields, ranchers from Brothers, Oregon, started the Oregon Country Beef Cooperative and demonstrated how a holistic approach to ranching can be compatible with healthy rangelands, riparian zones and watersheds.
The lecture, sponsored by Karnopp Petersen LLC, begins at 6:00pm. Guests are invited to enjoy a no-host bar. Please RSVP for this free lecture at highdesertmuseum.org/rsvp. For more information visit www.highdesertmuseum.org or call 541-382-4754 ext. 241.
About the High Desert Museum: Through exhibits, wildlife and living history, the High Desert Museum creates learning experiences to help audiences discover their connection to the past, their role in the present and their responsibility to the future. The Museum is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that was founded in 1982.
