April 8-10, Lincoln, NE
With millions of acres fenced cropland, the Great Plains doesn’t seem like a wild place, but there is much to learn from the pockets of wildness left and the efforts to restore and protect the region’s landscape. This conference will examine the wild Great Plains' past, present, and future by looking at research and new ideas surrounding the flora and fauna of the region. It will also scrutinize the concept of wilderness and examine what wild areas mean to human visitors and residents. Wild Great Plains will cover topics like restoration of bison herds, Indigenous-led environmental practices, grassland animals, foraging, urban wilderness, psychological aspects of wilderness, conservation action, rewilding, tourism, and our connection with wildness. Alongside panel sessions, the conference will also feature experiential workshops on topics like nature photography and plant identification.
Keynote speakers
Michael Forsberg
Forsberg is a Nebraskan whose 30-year career as a photographer and conservationist has been dedicated to wildlife and conservation stories in North America's Great Plains, once one of the greatest grassland ecosystems on Earth. His images have been featured in publications including Audubon, National Geographic, Nature Conservancy, and Sierra magazines. His fine art prints are in public and private collections, and his solo exhibitions have traveled nationwide.
In 2011, Forsberg co-founded Platte Basin Timelapse (PBT) in partnership with UNL and Michael Farrell Photography and Fine Art. Today, it operates as a conservation storytelling project to inform scientific research, build educational content, and tell stories of a Great Plains watershed in motion. A documentary film for PBS, titled Follow the Water, based on the project and Mike's traverse across the Platte Basin watershed, was released on PBS nationally in 2019. Forsberg serves as faculty at UNL and is a Fellow with the Center for Great Plains Studies and the Daugherty Water for Food Institute.
Ferin Davis Anderson
Anderson is the co-author of Wildfire: The Culture, Science, and Future of Fire, a STEAM book exploring the science of wildfires, the history of fire in the United States, and the relationship Indigenous people have with fire. Anderson is an enrolled citizen of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa/Ojibwe/Anishinaabe/Mitchifs in North Dakota. She is also the Natural Resources Manager for the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community’s Land and Natural Resources Department. Anderson is responsible for stewarding and restoring natural areas for the SMSC. She works to weave Indigenous knowledge and western science to implement holistic land stewardship practices. This includes using fire as an ecological and cultural tool to achieve beneficial and healing outcomes. Witnessing Indigenous people revitalize and reconnect with this practice has been one of the greatest gifts of her career. Anderson was also part of a team that helped bring bison back to the SMSC – a relative that will help the Community connect with the land and their culture.
Brandon Cobb
Cobb (Cherokee Nation) joined The Nature Conservancy’s team as an Indigenous Conservation Specialist in 2022, a new role for the Nebraska chapter. Cobb is from Edmond, Okla., and graduated from Yale
University with a degree in Environmental Science and a concentration in sustainability and natural resource use. As a 2022 Claire M. Hubbard Young Leaders in Conservation Fellow, Cobb chose to develop guidance
for building and maintaining relationships with Tribal nations, primarily in Nebraska. From there, he organized and led the first Nebraska Intertribal Conservation Summit. Cobb now works on projects with Indigenous groups and tribal nations across the state and other parts of North America.
Get involved
PARTICIPATE
Submit a research or artistic poster
CALL FOR POSTERS
We invite scholars, artists, students, and storytellers to participate in our gallery-style poster session, designed to feel like a walk-through exhibition where art, science, and storytelling converge. Showcase your work in an innovative, recognized academic and artistic space and engage with a diverse audience of scholars, practitioners, artists, and the public.
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PARTICIPATE AT MANY LEVELS
Wild Great Plains aims to highlight the unique biodiversity of the region, promote awareness of environmental challenges, and foster collaboration among stakeholders. With expert speakers, interactive workshops, and networking opportunities, we anticipate engaging a diverse audience who is passionate about this region.
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