Author Archives: Chris Helzer

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About Chris Helzer

Chris Helzer is Director of Science and Stewardship for The Nature Conservancy in Nebraska, where he conducts research and supervises the Conservancy’s preserve stewardship program. He also helps develop, test, and share prairie management and restoration strategies. Chris is also dedicated to raising awareness about the value of prairies through his photography, writing and presentations. He is the author of The Prairie Ecologist blog, and two books: The Ecology and Management of Prairies and Hidden Prairie: Photographing Life in One Square Meter. He is also a frequent contributor to NEBRASKAland magazine and other publications. Chris and his family live in Aurora, Nebraska.

What’s This Flower? November 11, 2014

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The temperatures dove into the low teens last night, and I had to be cautious of numerous icy patches along the highway this morning.  I found myself feeling reminiscent of summer wildflowers, and thought maybe you would be too.

So – here’s a photo of a wildflower, taken on August 30, 2014 along the Central Platte River in Nebraska.  Can you name it?  I’ll give you a couple hints in the comments section below, and then after someone guesses correctly (and they will – a number of botanists follow this blog) I’ll confirm their answer in the comments section as well.

ENPO140830_D006

 

If you want to guess, but don’t see a comments section, click on the title of this post to open it in your web browser – then you can scroll to the bottom of the post to find the comments.

 

Photo of the Week – November 7, 2014

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It’s been a busy week, capped off by two days helping staff and volunteers with a bison roundup at The Nature Conservancy’s Niobrara Valley Preserve.  The bison in the Preserve’s two herds are pretty much left alone all year except for one annual roundup.  Those roundups allow staff to sort off animals to be sold, innoculate calves that will be kept, and get a (fairly) accurate count of the herd.  Yesterday was the main event, during which animals were herded into the corrals and run through a series of gates, alleys, and pens.  Most of the animals were in and out of the corral within about 5 hours.  The veterinarian will be here today to help process the rest.

Despite best efforts, the roundup – while important – is a little stressful for both bison and staff, so both parties are glad to see it end.  As groups of animals are released to join their peers back in the hills, their excitement is palpable.  The photo below captures one of those moments.

Heading home...

Heading home…

Within a few minutes of their release, the bison were back to grazing – apparently peacefully – out in the hills.  Life goes on…