A Conference on Tourism and Conservation in the Great Plains
Great Plains Symposium: April 18-20 | Kearney, Neb. | Younes Conference Center
For those who have experienced it, the Great Plains’ rolling grasslands, charismatic wildlife, and boundless scenery fill the heart with wonder. The Plains are filled with fascinating biodiversity and wonderful opportunities for exploration while also harboring critically endangered habitats. Its people have created diverse cultures and communities. How can we preserve this legacy for future generations?
We argue that responsible nature-based tourism offers one strategy to simultaneously save the region's natural marvels, benefit landowners, and sustain thriving rural communities. This is conservation that works with businesses, landowners, and communities toward common goals; it creates allies of groups—environmentalists, business owners, and land owners—sometimes cast as adversaries. It's already happening in the Great Plains here and there, as events like the Sandhill crane migration gain popularity and efforts like the American Prairie Reserve gain footing. The Center's ongoing ecotourism project seeks to explore, promote, and strengthen these operations.
This conference combines three conferences into one large-scale event. The Nebraska Tourism Commission's annual Agri/Ecotourism Workshop and the Heartland Byways Annual Conference will join their conferences with this event.
The conference featured sessions for business leaders, ranchers, and community partners as well as wider discussions about how to preserve the stunning bounty of Great Plains ecology. It examined local and global models of conservation and tourism, including speakers from southern Africa where tourism has had stunning success in supporting conservation. For more about ecotourism check out Visit the Prairie or our ecotourism research page.
Along with a slate of impactful speakers, the conference included hands-on opportunities to see and learn about regional ecotourism attractions during a series of pre-conference, optional field trips and workshops.
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Conference partners:
Nebraska Tourism Commission
Heartland Byways Conference
Major sponsors:
University of Nebraska at Kearney
UNL College of Arts and Sciences
Rural Futures Institute
The International Ecotourism Society
Gold level:
Bass Pro Shops
Silver level:
Nebraska Game & Parks
Bronze level:
Maly Marketing
Kearney Visitors Bureau
North Platte/Lincoln County Visitors Bureau
Travel and Transport
Optix
Friend level:
Nebraska Life Magazine
National Scenic Byway Foundation
Sandhills Journey Scenic Byway
Table sponsors/ Exhibitors:
- AAA
- American Road Magazine
- Brush Buck Tours
- Calamus Outfitters
- Center for Rural Affairs
- Crane Trust
- CTM Media Group
- FES Foundation Educational Services
- Flint Hills Discovery Center
- Grow Nebraska
- Hollman Media
- Horizons Without Bounds
- Nebraska Game and Parks
- Nebraska Life Magazine
- NebraskaLincoln Historic Byway
- North Platte/Lincoln County Visitors Bureau
- Maly Marketing
- Midwest Travel Bloggers
- Missouri Arboretum, Northwest Missouri State University
- Optix Digital Media
- Prescription Pyro LLC
- PostcardJar.com
- Sandhills Journey Scenic Byway
- Southern Plains Land Trust
- USDA Rural Development
- The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation & Natural Resources Conservation Service
Keynote speakers:
Joel Sartore, Keynote
Sartore is an award-winning photographer, speaker, author, teacher, conservationist, National Geographic fellow, and regular contributor to National Geographic magazine. His hallmarks are a sense of humor and a Midwestern work ethic. Joel specializes in documenting endangered species and landscapes around the world. He is the founder of the Photo Ark, a 25-year documentary project to save species and habitat.
“It is folly to think that we can destroy one species and ecosystem after another and not affect humanity,” he says. “When we save species, we’re actually saving ourselves.”
Martha Kauffman, Managing Director, World Wildlife Fund's Northern Great Plains Program
Kauffman manages an area that encompasses five states and some of the least understood terrain in the 'Lower 48.' She works with local ranchers, Native American tribes and government agencies to increase protection for the landscape, create economic incentives for conservation, and restore native species including iconic and rare animals such as bison, prairie dogs, and the most endangered mammal in North America, the black-footed ferret.
Nils Odendaal, CEO, NamibRand Nature Reserve, Namibia
Odendaal is a native Namibian and has been involved in conservation for more than 20 years. He first worked for Integrated Rural Development and Nature Conservation in north-western Namibia focusing on community-based natural resource management. He has been involved with the NamibRand Nature Reserve for the past 13 years. First as the Reserve’s control warden and later as CEO. He is also one of the founders of the Greater Sossusvlei-Namib Landscape Association.
Dan Flores, Author, “American Serengeti: The Last Big Animals of the Great Plains”
Flores is a writer and historian who specializes in environmental and cultural history of the American West. Before his retirement, Flores held the A.B. Hammond Chair in Western History at the University of Montana in Missoula. He’s the author of “American Serengeti: The Last Big Animals of the Great Plains,” which won the 2017 Stubbendieck Great Plains Distinguished Book Prize.
Okwa Sarefno, founder Wild Expeditions Safaris
Sarefo is the creator of Wild Expectations Safaris, a small adventure touring and guiding company. Sarefo has been guiding in Botswana for the last 18 years. Over the last 4 years he ventured into training other guides. The company exhibits a friendly and forward-thinking attitude that recognizes the need to shift with ever-changing customer needs. Sarefo's philosophy is to emphasize an exclusive experience with a small number of people to view nature on foot or the silent mokoro (canoe).
Featured speakers:
Sarah Sortum, Ecotourism manager and operator, Calamus Outfitters, Burwell, Neb. & GPEC consultant
John Janovy, Professor Emeritus, Biology, UNL. Janovy is the author of 17 books, including the forthcoming Africa Notes: Reflections of an Ecotourist.
Dipra Jha, Director of Global Engagement, Hospitality, Restaurant & Tourism Management, UNL. Jha, a recognized expert in luxury hospitality and tourism strategies, was the first Professor in Residence at the Venetian-Palazzo resort in Las Vegas.
Michael Forsberg is an award-winning photographer of Great Plains nature and wildlife, co-founder of the Platte Basin Timelapse project, and a faculty member in IANR at the University of Nebraska.
Anthony Schutz, Associate Professor, UNL Law. Schutz, a Nebraska native, is a nationally-recognized authority on the often-intertwined subjects of agricultural, environmental, and natural resources law and of state and local government.
Rebekka Schlicting, VisionMaker Media. Former Great Plains Graduate Fellow and a recent UNL Journalism graduate, Schlicting helped lead the award-winning “Wounds of Whiteclay” report. An enrolled member of the Ioway tribe, she's working to spread ecotourism ideas to Indian tribes in the Plains.
Dean Jacobs, traveler, author, photographer. Jacobs, a Nebraska native, has traversed across the globe exploring over 50 countries on a low budget adventure, propelled by a desire to understand the world we share.
Reed Robinson (Sicangu/Lakota), Manager, Tribal Relations & Indian Affairs, National Park Service, Midwest Regional Office. Robinson's office works to ensure agency policies and actions respect tribal sovereignty and serve to build vital intercultural partnerships.
Larkin Powell, Professor of conservation biology and animal ecology at the School of Natural Resources, UNL. Powell has published several articles on ecotourism in Nebraska and Africa.
Larry Borowsky has more than 20 years’ experience developing interpretive text and interactive media for museums and historic sites. He has also worked with several of Colorado’s scenic and historic byways.
Additional speakers:
James Anderson, Adventure Travel and Trade Association
Lars Anderson, Reserve Assistant, American Prairie Reserve
Ellen Anderson, Reserve Assistant, American Prairie Reserve
Vince Asta, Ponderosa Cyclery
Dena Beck, REAP Senior Project Leader & South Central Loan Specialist, Center for Rural Affairs
Joe Black, Executive Director, Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer
Billie Kay Bodie, Big Blue Ranch
Casey Cagle, Prairie Earth Tours
John Carroll, Director, School of Natural Resources, UNL
Brett Chloupek, Humanities & Social Sciences, Northwest Missouri State University
Caroline Clare, English, Arizona State University
Chuck Cooper, Crane Trust
Bree Dority, Assoctiate Professor of Finance, University of Nebraska at Kearney
Ben Dumas, Crane Trust
Tim Dwyer, Friends of the Missouri Breaks Monument
Mark Engler, Superintendent, Homestead National Monument of America
Michael Farrell, co-founder, Platte Basin Timelapse project; Asst. Prof of Practice, Agricultural Leadership, Education & Communications at UNL
Mary Harner, Associate Professor of Biology, University of Nebraska at Kearney
Katelyn Ideus, Director of Communications & Public Relations, Rural Futures Institute
Shane Ideus, Unico Group
Theresa Jedd, Environmental Policy Specialist, School of Natural Resources, UNL
Luke Jordan, First Thru-Hiker of the Great Plains Trail
Joel Jorgensen, Nebraska Game and Parks
Susan Jurasz, Sea Ranch, OR
Doug Killeen, Philadelphia Insurance Companies
Bobby Koepplin, Board Vice Chair, National Scenic Byway Foundation
Qwynne Lackey, Parks, Recreation & Tourism, University of Utah
Adam Lackner, Brush Buck Tours, WY
Tom Lynch, English, UNL
Susan Naramore Maher, Dean and Professor of English College of Liberal Arts, University of Minnesota Duluth
Michael Maddison, Northwest Missouri State University
Steve Maly, Maly Marketing
Ronnie O'Brien, Central Community College
Ashley Olson, Executive Director, Willa Cather Foundation
Erin Pirro, Farm Business Consultant, Farm Credit East
Andy Pollock, Rembolt Ludtke Law
Jeff Rawlinson, Nebraska Game and Parks
Emily Rau, English graduate student, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Richard Reading, Director of Research and Conservation, Butterfly Pavilion, CO
Robert Ritson, Biology, University of Nebraska at Kearney
Caleb Roberts, graduate student, Agronomy & Horticulture, UNL
Regina Robbins, Assistant Professor of Sociology & Native American Studies, University of Nebraska at Omaha
Nicole Rosmarino, Southern Plains Land Trust
Chris Sieverdes, Board Member, National Scenic Byway Foundation
Kristal Stoner, Nebraska Game and Parks
Sharon Strouse, Board Chair, National Scenic Byway Foundation
Bill Taddicken, Iain Nicolson Audubon Center at Rowe Sanctuary
Ann and Steve Teget, PostcardJar.com
Tracy Tucker, Willa Cather Foundation
T.J. Walker, Nebraska Game and Parks biologist
Bill Whitney, Prairie Plains Resource Institute
Kim Wilson, Landscape Architecture, UNL
Travel bloggers: Melody Pittman, Megan Bannister, Sara Broers, Lisa & Tim Trudell
Pre-conference field trips & workshops
Crane Trust Fat Biking Tour: Enjoy an excursion on comfortable “fat-tire” bikes that can tackle even the toughest terrain. View stretches of the historic Platte River, venture over untilled prairie, and journey to places where a vehicle can’t reach.
Nebraska Business Development Center Workshop: Join Rick Yoder from UNO's Nebraska Business Development Center for a workshop on how to build a sustainable, 'green' business and attract environmentally conscious customers.
Crane Trust Bison Tour: The Crane Trust is home to the largest genetically-pure herd of bison in the state of Nebraska. The bison are a vital piece to restoring and maintaining thousands of acres of historic prairie ecosystems. Get an up close and personal tour of the Crane Trust's bison herd, led by staff who can answer your questions about these historic animals.
Photo Safari with Award-Winning Photographer Michael Farrell: Embark on a photo safari with award-winning photographer Michael Farrell and discover things in the environment of the Great Plains you've never bothered to notice before!
Agritourism Progressive Meal: In this unique agritourism experience, you'll visit two breweries and one winery plus have appetizers, lunch, and dessert. Each stop includes a tour of the facilities, Q&As with the owners, and agritourism ideas and strategies.
Tour of Old Father Prairie: Join a master naturalist on a guided tour of Oldfather Prairie, a two-mile loop on the northeastern edge of Cottonmill Park in Kearney. The trail contains interpretive signs and your guide will offer expert knowledge on the grasses and wildflowers along the way.
Harlan County Lake Prairie Dog Tour: Join environmental educator Keanna Leonard for a tour of the prairie dogs, the Harlan County Reservoir, and fascinating local history.
Biking the Kearney Hike/Bike Trail: Biking and a guided tour of a museum: It's a two-for-one deal! Start your journey at Yanney Park and bike to the Kearney Archway for a 45-minute guided tour of this museum dedicated to Nebraska's role in westward expansion. Then head back to Yanney Park. It's a roundtrip ten-mile journey on an easy paved trail.
Incorporating Stargazing into Nature Tourism Workshop: Join Nebraska Star Party's John Johnson and learn about how ecotourism businesses and nonprofits can add stargazing activities. Spend the second half of the workshop at UNK's planetarium to learn about star identification in the Great Plains.
Prairie Plains Walking Tour: Join Bill Whitney of Prairie Plains Resource Institute and explore some of central Nebraska's most gorgeous locations! Visit Bader Park and Gjerloff Prairie in the morning, have lunch on PPRI's Education Center patio, then head to Sherman Ranch and end with the trail bridge over the Platte River south of Central City.