When we were kids, we all had a favorite space. Where we played with our friends, were inspired by the plants and animals, where we dreamed and laughed. It may be the tree house, the lake across the street or the fort you constructed in the backyard.

Growing up in Idaho, my first love was Yellowstone National Park. My Dad, an avid fly fisherman, named me after the Madison River that runs just outside of West Yellowstone. We spent every summer hiking, camping, fly-fishing and wildlife-viewing in the park since I was three years old. It wasn’t just a national park; it was a vessel of inspiration that molded my outdoor lifestyle and the heart I have today.

This last winter a controversy was presented to me; in Yellowstone National Park, only around 4,000 wild buffalo stand and in this year alone 518 have been slaughtered by the Montana Department of Livestock. I couldn’t help but ask ‘Why are they slaughtering all these wild buffalo?’. I got involved with a group called the Buffalo Field Campaign (BFC; http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/) a conservation group in West Yellowstone that works to protect that last free roaming buffalo from being harassed and slaughtered. They explained the situation to me quite nicely.

Buffalo, being herbivores, need to continue to feed in the winter. The snow pack freezes through the winter and makes it close to impossible for them to reach the grass inside of the park. Therefor, leading the buffalo to migrate anywhere from 3-30 miles outside the park boundary in search of lesser snow depth and easier access to vegetation. However, the natural migration of the buffalo creates big problems for Montana Department of Livestock and park rangers. As the buffalo are migrating to different grazing areas for cattle, they put the livestock up in danger of catching brucellosis.

Brucellosis is a bacterial disease that both wildlife and livestock acquire, sometimes causing the cattle to abort their first calf. This disease was first detected in buffalo around 1917 after buffalo were fed milk from infected cows. A few buffalo abortions have been documented, but the rarity is still very high of a buffalo contracting the disease.

Since 1917 the buffalo have built solid immunity against brucellosis. The buffalo still contain the antibodies of the disease, proving they have developed disease opposition. However, the Montana Department of Livestock is still concerned about the buffalo infecting the cattle, which are shipped out for the winter because they can’t handle the cold temperatures around the park. To ensure the safety of the cattle, the Montana Department of Livestock runs them through tests that identify if they have the antibodies for the disease. Consistently, all the buffalo test positive and are slaughtered.

The buffalo that aren’t tested outside of the park still remain a threat. Right around May, calving season for the buffalo, the park rangers will haze the buffalo back into the park on snowmobiles, horseback, ATV’s and even with helicopters. The rangers will haze newborn calves and other buffalo 15 miles in a day, creating high levels of stress mentally and physically, which leads to buffalo attacking calves from stress or getting injured. To maintain population control the rangers will lead the buffalo into traps for them to be slaughtered. So far in 2015, 518 buffalo have been slaughtered. In years past, the Department of Livestock has wiped out over 1,000 buffalo in a single year.

After learning about what was happening with the last population of wild roaming buffalo I was broken hearted. Something I hold so sacred to myself was being affected greatly and I had no idea.

My fellow classmates and I took action and volunteered for a weekend at the BFC. We went out into the field with our snowshoes and binoculars and went searching for buffalo. The BFC spends every day documenting the ground the buffalo have covered and actions against the buffalo by creating wildlife reports in attempt to track where the buffalo roam. We walked around the Madison River and stood in awe of the beauty of these wild creatures. We helped construct a wildlife report and gained a true respect for these animals.

After this trip I gained a real calling of taking care of this place that once took excellent care of me. Involvement in the area you love is so important; it’s our job to take care of the land and the plants and animals it holds. Get involved & learn about how you can conserve the place you love.

For more information on the buffalo in Yellowstone or volunteering for BFC visit: http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/index.html