Humans & Wildlife in the American West: A History

Join Expedition Leader and wildlife biologist Aaron Bott to learn about the history of humans and wildlife in Nat Hab’s spectacular destinations in the American West. Looking at bears, wolves, cougars, bison and bighorn sheep, Aaron shares stories of wild animals’ interactions with people in the 19th and 20th centuries, as white settlers established a permanent presence in the plains and peaks of the West, and tensions between humans and wildlife grew over the decades. On a journey through the red rock canyonlands of the Southwest, north to the pine forests and montane meadows of Yellowstone, and on to the high ramparts and alpine meadows of Glacier National Park in the northern Rockies, learn the fate of wildlife over the past two centuries as human presence has impacted and reshaped their native ecosystems. Discover the challenges wildlife has faced, and celebrate the triumphs of preserving and sustaining these charismatic large mammal species in the contemporary world.


Originally presented November 11, 2020