Tribal Grasslands

Ed Newbold

The Tribal Grasslands project presents an ideal opportunity involving a broad spectrum of stakeholders—including Yakama and Kalispel tribes, local school children, Audubon chapters, and private land-users—to observe and preserve an indicator species caught between climate change and direct agricultural threats to its grassland habitat. Audubon used field data gathered by adult and youth volunteers to inform management policies to improve grassland health for people and birds.

 This initiative focuses on the Bobolink as indicator species on lands owned by the Yakama Nation and Kalispell Tribe. Washington has lost 70% of our grasslands, with the remainder heavily fragmented and of poor health. Since 2010, Audubon and tribes have gathered migratory and nesting data on the Bobolink which resulted in the adoption of the 2011 Yakama Nation Bobolink Management Plan.  

 Initially funded by a TogetherGreen grant, the Tribal Grasslands Project is coordinated by Birding Trail Director and 2010 TogetherGreen Fellow Christi Norman. TogetherGreen is a partnership between National Audubon and Toyota.

See the Yakima Valley Audubon Calliope Crier for its page 1 story in the June-July 2011 issue, and page 8 story in October 2011 issue and the Spokane Audubon Pygmy Owl for the March 2011 page 6.

2012 Field Season Sponsors:  Kalispel Tribe of Indians and Tulalip Tribes