"the People's Paths!" NAIIP News Path! - Yellowstone Buffalo Field Update

Yellowstone Buffalo Field Update
"Read review of the 'Chorus of Buffalo'"

Report by Pete Leusch, BFC
the People's Voice ~ Friday, February 2, 2001

        The cold, dark month of January has passed, and even though spring is months away, we can see that the days are getting longer. Most of the time this is a blessing, but at BFC it means getting up earlier and staying out later. Currently, patrols leave the house at 6 am and return at about 6 pm. We have had plenty of sunshine to enjoy lately and a rosy glow can be seen in volunteers faces. Even though we are still in desperate need of snow, its hard to complain when the sun first hits you on a frosty morning. Clear days bring cold nights as temperatures have dipped to -30 F. this week.
        The real blessings of this job are always more evident in a week when DOL fails to show up. Our local DOL agent has been seen out and about, but the rest of the crew decided to stay up in Helena this week. We can only speculate about their plans, so we keep our vigil with the bison constant.
        Saturday's prayer ceremony with Scott Frazier turned out to be a very powerful event. Wild bison seem to have a magnetic pull on people and new volunteers as well as old friends arrived throughout the morning. It was a pleasure to have Chuck Watson, Michael Sherman and Marty present. The day was beautiful and the birds were chirping in the trees as we circled up to give thanks. While we pray for justice for wild bison, we can never forget the power and beauty they give to us daily. Over 150 volunteers have spent time in the field this winter, enriching their lives as they help protect the last wild bison.
        Amongst the many wildlife sightings this week, a rare and threatened Northern Goshawk was spotted hunting along the Madison river. Goshawks require large areas of unbroken forest to survive and are in decline throughout their historic range. The ravens and squirrels may not agree, but the sight of a Goshawk brings hope.
        Many thanks to all of you, your support makes our job in the field so much easier. We know that the world is watching, and that it will take all of us to bring about change.
A wildfire in my belly,
Pete Leusch

"A Chorus of Buffalo"

Read a new review on the "Chorus of Buffalo" A great book for a winter's read.
Burford Press will donate 45% of the sales to the Buffalo Field Campaign if you mention us when you order from the Press. (See above web site for contact information.)
Thanks again to Mike and Ruth Rudner at Burford for their support of BFC!
"The buffalo so near fills the landscape. There is no frame around him of the sort a camera makes. He is not to be captured; not to become a memory, an object of study .... Framed by the earth, he makes a picture so big, it can only be seen with the heart."
For more information regarding the buffalo and how you can help, visit the Buffalo Field Campaign online!