Distinctly Montana Magazine

W W W. D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA NA . C O M 31 I grew up in eastern Montana so the wide- open spaces and endless blue skies were famil- iar sights, but this was my first time visiting the American Prairie Reserve. e bison herd of around 300 move freely within the perim- eter of the Sun Prairie unit and it's common for the massive mammals to saunter through the Reserve's public campground aptly named Buffalo Camp. Even though I've seen bison in Yellowstone National Park dozens of times, it was breathtaking to witness these magnificent beasts roaming in their native habitat. Being able to watch them from a few hundred feet away without bumper-to-bumper tourist traffic was an added bonus. National Geographic has called American Prairie Reserve "one of the most ambitious conservation projects in American history." e nonprofit organization has been working to save Montana's shortgrass prairie and re- store native species of plants and animals since 2001. Yet it's remained somewhat of a mystery to many Montanans, whether you're a recent Bozeman transplant or a fourth-generation Phillips County rancher. "I think people are fearful because they don't understand it and part of that is on us to do a better job of communicating our mission," said Pete Geddes, Managing Director for Ameri- can Prairie Reserve. by BETH SABOE "Y OU CAN'T ROLLER SKATE IN A BUFFALO HERD, BUT YOU CAN RIDE A BIKE IF YOU WANT." A new twist on old lyrics from the humorous Roger Miller song danced in my head as we rode along the bumpy two-track trail past a herd of nearly 40 bison. Some of the bulls were rolling around in the dirt to shake off the 90-degree heat of the day and as they galloped away they gave off puffs of dust like steam trains. (left) During mating season, male sage grouse gather in concentrated areas known as leks, where they put on a show at sunrise in hopes of attracting a female partner. The greater sage grouse has experienced massive population decline over the past century partly due to a loss of habitat. The size of American Prairie Reserve's bison herd is around 800 but the organization hopes to one day see thousands of bison on the landscape. DENNIS LINGOHR DENNIS LINGOHR

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