The Great Buffalo Restoration on the American Prairie, with ‘world’s top bison wrangler’ Pedro Calderon-Dominguez

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Pedro Calderon-Dominguez is regarded as an extraordinary horseman. Though as fate would have it, his life took a series of unexpected turns, through wildlife ecology as the first to further Aldo’s Leopold’s work with black bears, into holistic management with some of the legends in Mexico and beyond, and ultimately into working with buffalo. Now he’s regarded by some as the world’s top bison wrangler.
Pedro is currently based at an ambitious project called American Prairie, in the north of Montana, managing its bison restoration program on the Great Plains. We visited him and his brilliant wife Flora a few weeks ago, and were blown away by the presence of the bison again on this country, and Pedro’s subtle connection with them.
Mexican-born and raised, with his own indigenous origins and expert horse-handling pedigree, Pedro was recruited to American Prairie to play this key role in their mission to coordinate and leverage, across varied land tenures, the restoration of 3 million acres of essential grasslands. And it’s turning up some remarkable outcomes, including relationships with First Nations, and connections with the broader bison restoration work across the continent. At the same time, we’d also been hearing about the controversy and discontent amongst some locals feeling like big money from outside is supplanting family ranches. Save the Cowboy billboards line the highway as we approach.
This episode has chapter markers and a transcript.
Recorded 30 July 2024 (intro recorded at Judith Schwartz’s home in Vermont).
Title slide: Pedro with the buffalo (pic: Anthony James).
See more photos on the website, and for more from behind the scenes, become a member via the Patreon page.
Music:
Green Shoots, by The Nomadics.
Regeneration, by Amelia Barden, from Regenerating Australia.
The RegenNarration playlist, music chosen by guests (thanks to Josie Symons).
Find more:
Tune into a special extra to this episode, Out Among the Buffalo, later this week.
For more on Pedro, tune into Back to the Land with Cody Spencer - World's Top Bison Wrangler - Pedro Calderon Dominguez.
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Kapitler

1. Music, Preview, Introduction & Supporter Thanks (00:00:00)

2. The Man From Snowy River (00:03:35)

3. The ambitious story of American Prairie (00:05:45)

4. Pedro’s path among legends (00:11:05)

5. Meeting his future wife at the ranch of Alejandro Carrillo (00:13:35)

6. Learning about the fascinating family story later in life (00:17:05)

7. How this renowned horseman moved to wild buffalo (00:20:20)

8. The Connection With Bison (00:23:30)

9. Working to the time of the animal, not the human (00:24:35)

10. ‘God’s cattle’: The spirit of the buffalo here (00:25:35)

11. Bison Conservation and Cultural Connections (00:29:10)

12. What is the objective here with the buffalo & how are you achieving it? (00:32:05)

13. What’s the overall status of the return of the buffalo on the Plains? (00:42:35)

14. Grappling with the bison’s ‘bad reputation’ (00:44:20)

15. First Nations restoring dignity to the bison (00:48:20)

16. Recasting notions of wild & managed animals? (00:50:30)

17. The controversy & campaign against American Prairie (00:52:30)

18. A way for ranchers & buffalo to mutually benefit? (00:57:50)

19. Redefining Land Ownership and Conservation (00:59:00)

20. How is American Prairie financed? (00:59:00)

21. Some famed mentors in Mexico & wonders of the open plains (01:00:15)

22. Bringing the fences down (01:02:00)

23. From mimicking wild herds to the wild herds themselves? (01:05:30)

24. Implications for the notion of privately owning land? (01:06:49)

25. Bison Conservation and Education Initiatives (01:11:27)

26. A personal passion for education work with the tribes (01:11:27)

27. Witnessing instincts in people and buffalo (01:13:30)

28. Music & closing words (01:17:00)