Rangeland stewardship has a different meaning to different people. To some, it’s a duty, to others, a necessity, and to others still, it’s a livelihood. A grant was obtained in the fall of 2014 in which the University of Wyoming and University of Arizona came together to develop the Discovering Our Nation’s Rangelands project. The overall goal of the project was to develop different Extension educational tools and content to enhance existing websites and to develop templates by which other state Extension Services can adopt and adapt our models.
There were various objectives to obtaining this goal and with the help of two interns, the University of Wyoming was able to accomplish two of the main objectives 1) to develop short, theme-based videos to document local knowledge about rangeland management and 2) to develop short viewpoint videos on topics of interest.
Local knowledge and viewpoint content was collected from both ranchers and agency representatives to gain a full spectrum of ideas and experiences. Individuals were filmed and then content was edited and compiled into five to eight minute videos. Seven individuals were interviewed to capture their extensive knowledge and experiences regarding rangeland management (Local Knowledge Videos). Numerous individuals were interviewed to gather their knowledge and diverse perspectives with regards to current land management topics. One of the main objectives in conducting current issue videos was to assist various interest group to better understand diverse viewpoints on topics related to rangelands (Current Issues).
University of Wyoming Video Producers and Editors have compiled podcasts to disseminate information gained from local knowledge interviews. Out on the Land videos have also been conducted to share the rich history and stories of a few Wyoming ranchers as well as provide information about ongoing research efforts in the Thunder Basin Grasslands.
The Discovering our Nation’s Rangelands project was funded by a USDA grant.