Hope on the Hardgrass: Social-ecological Lessons from the Collaborative Adaptive Rangeland Management Project in Colorado

This presentation will introduce the Collaborative Adaptive Rangeland Management (CARM) project and key social and ecological findings developed by the transdisciplinary research team over the past eight years. These include insights into the complexity of social learning, conservation/production trade-offs, and best practices for participatory grazing research methods, illustrating the value of building trust, connection to place, and a sense of hope in the CARM project.

Hailey Wilmer is a Research Rangeland Management Specialist for the USDA ARS Sheep Production Efficiency Research Division in Dubois, ID. Dr. Wilmer combines her interest in grazing ecology, climate adaptation, and collaborative adaptive management to conduct solution-oriented research in highly variable livestock production systems.  Her research has two central themes. The first theme is working with managers, ranchers, and other researchers to connect grazing research to the real world. The second theme adds a climate and weather adaptation focus. A former high school agriculture teacher and multi-generational Montanan, Dr. Wilmer is committed to building relationships with local and stakeholder communities, and effectively communicating science to the public and broader audiences.

This is an in-person and live streamed event. See website for details.