Rapid City, SD (January 22, 2024) — The National Audubon Society is proud to announce that the Cheyenne River Buffalo Ranch, owned by renowned wildlife biologist Dan O’Brien and his family and the home ranch for his Wild Idea Buffalo Co., has achieved the bird -friendly habitat certification through Audubon’s Conservation Ranching program. Wild Idea Buffalo Co. will be the inaugural brand. which will feature the new bison version of Audubon Certified bird-friendly seal, a package label that informs consumers of products that come from lands managed for birds and biodiversity.
Audubon’s flagship grassland habitat initiative, Audubon Conservation Ranching is a collaborative effort between ranchers and bird conservation nonprofits to address population declines in grassland birds – the group of bird species that have experienced the fastest that decline over the past half century. More than 100 ranches, covering nearly 3 million hectares, were acquired Audubon Certified nationwide status. It includes 13 ranches and approximately 140,000 acres in South Dakota.
O’Brien is a living legend in the conservation community, largely for his efforts to protect and restore the native prairies of the northern Great Plains. O’Brien’s work has long been informed by birds — he spent seven years working for the Peregrine Fund, helping to restore once-threatened species across the Rocky Mountains — and they thrive on the Cheyenne River Buffalo. Ranch, the 36,000-acre ranch he bought in 1997 where he introduced bison as a way of revitalizing the grassland landscape. In addition to protecting his grasslands from conversion to row crop agriculture or other forms of development, O’Brien restored previously modified lands with native grasses, transforming them back into a more natural that state.
“Birds are the real reason I started all this,” said O’Brien, “I just wanted to share the open spaces with them. But I quickly realized they were in trouble because of widespread habitat loss and degradation. Bringing back bison has been my way of saving the planet, helping to renew the prairie, and improving cover for birds. The relationship between bison and birds will always be a whole circle.”
At the Cheyenne River Buffalo Ranch, O’Brien adopted a grazing management principle inspired by the historical patterns of native bison herds, ensuring that one-third of the available vegetation was consumed, one-third is trampled upon, and one-third remains untouched.
Cody Grewing, a Rangeland Ecologist for Audubon Great Plains, emphasized the unique importance of this approach, stating, “The patchwork landscape created by Dan O’Brien’s rangeland management is exactly what the birds in the grassland, a mosaic of habitats perfect for a wide area. spectrum of different bird species.”
For more information about Audubon Conservation Ranching in South Dakota, please contact Cody Grewing at [email protected]. For information on other states, please email [email protected].
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About Audubon Conservation Ranching
A wildlife habitat initiative of National Audubon Society with a unique connection to the market, Audubon Conservation Ranching aims to stabilize declining grassland bird populations in partnership with ranchers – where 95 percent of grassland birds live. Audubon Conservation Ranching’s registry includes more than 100 ranches and nearly 3 million acres that have earned the status of Audubon Certified bird-friendly land. Incentivizing this habitat work for birds and biodiversity are consumers with an appetite for conservation, who support it by purchasing products recommended for these lands. Consumers see a special package designation – the Audubon Certified bird-friendly seal – that sets these products apart. For more information, visit www.audubon.org/ranching.
About Wild Idea Buffalo Co.
Wild Idea Buffalo Co. is a pioneer in the production of 100% grass-fed and finished and humanely farmed buffalo meat. The company’s home, Cheyenne River Buffalo Ranch, is dedicated to sustainable and regenerative agricultural practices, preserving natural habitat for bison and wildlife. For more information, visit www.wildideabuffalo.com.
