Photo of the Day, September 18

Photo of the Day, September 18, a photo by Semester in the West on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
Keenan Hilton cuts a core sample from a young aspen recruit (a term for an aspen that has grown high enough to be above the reach of hungry elk and cattle) as Molly Simonson stabilizes.

Dennis Bramble

Dennis Bramble, a photo by Semester in the West on Flickr.

Dennis Bramble
Retired Professor of Vertebrate Morphology, University of Utah
Escalante, Utah
September 14

A vertebrate morphologist, Dennis Bramble recently retired from the University of Utah after working in the biology department for over 30 years. Though he and his wife had originally hoped to build a house on the plot of land we visited today near Escalante, Utah, Dennis says with a playful smile that high winds and shockingly low winter temperatures caused them to quickly learn that “this is not a place for old folks.” Nevertheless, Dennis has certainly found a way to put these 160 acres to good use. Over the past 20 years, he has been conducting a passive restoration experiment on his land. As a result of his efforts, the water table has risen 5 feet, and the number of native grass species on his land has doubled. His secret? He only allows light cattle grazing in the fall, after both the cool season and warm season grasses have had the chance to germinate. Just like Western Watersheds and Suzanne Fouty, Dennis believes that cattle grazing can greatly harm an ecosystem. But he doesn’t think that cows necessarily need to be removed from Western landscapes entirely. After all, he points out, their hooves can aerate the soil, and they can prevent the reproduction of all grasses, including invasive species.
By Libby Fones

Photo of the Day, September 17

Photo of the Day, September 17, a photo by Semester in the West on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
How many Westies does it take to spell… nevermind. We arrived at our campsite near Monroe Mountain, UT near sundown.

Sarah Gilman

Sarah Gilman, a photo by Semester in the West on Flickr.

Sarah Gilman
Associate Editor, High Country News
Paonia, Colorado
September 12

Sarah Gilman, associate editor for High Country News and a 2002 Westie, met with us at the HCN headquarters in Paonia, Colorado. Sarah first came to HCN as an intern when she was 24, after various other endeavors such as working on a trail crew, conducting biology research, and working as a journalist for the Aspen Daily News. After her internship at HCN, she stayed on and eventually moved up to her current editorial position. She says that she loves being an editor because it allows her to explore a wide range of “schizophrenic interests” and share important information with the wider public. Sarah had much to tell us about the history, mission, and readership of HCN, as well as insights into journalism in general and environmental journalism specifically. By the time we left, Sarah had converted more than a few of us into aspiring HCN interns.

By Nevé Baker