Protecting Our Common Ground
Your favorite outdoor spaces are irreplaceable. Whether you find your connection to nature while hiking in the mountains, picnicking at a city park, or moving cattle on horseback, the outdoors is a place that needs care and protection. The topic of land conservation is where people from many different backgrounds meet and something out of the ordinary happens—they all agree. Hiker and adventurer Myranda Hausheer got to learn this firsthand when she went to visit Welch Cattle Company in Larkspur, Colorado. Here’s what she learned from the experience.
Outside: Where do you find connection with the outdoors?
Myranda Hausheer: I love everything outdoors. Some of my favorite activities are hiking, mountain biking, fly-fishing, skiing, camping, backpacking, off-roading, and paddleboarding. The longer I live in Colorado, the more hobbies I seem to collect! But getting outdoors doesn’t have to be complicated or intense—I also love taking walks at the local park or drinking coffee on my patio. Spending time outside makes such a positive impact on my life. It helps me get physically stronger, gain confidence (especially on solo adventures), and improves my mental health and overall well-being. I love seeing the wide variety of folks out on trails and meeting new people who love nature too. It’s really special to feel connected to people from different backgrounds through nature.
What do hikers, conservationists, and ranchers all have in common?
We all love the outdoors and share a profound connection to the natural world—preserving it for future generations is a shared responsibility and mission. As an outdoor enthusiast who has a variety of hobbies, following trail etiquette, practicing Leave No Trace ethics, and educating others about how to care for our wild spaces are important to me. And these things are generally valued by all who love and cherish our natural resources and recreation areas.
On my visit to Welch Cattle Company in Larkspur, Colorado, I learned more about how much outdoor enthusiasts and ranchers have in common. Both communities share an admirable level of determination and grit, whether that’s summiting a challenging peak or fixing fences on a hot summer day.
What are some of the benefits of cattle grazing and ranching?
Similar to bison, cattle have been part of a natural cycle of grazing land, providing food for humans for centuries. Grazing even provides a variety of beneficial ecosystem services.
- Water cycle regulation: Cattle grazing increases the population of native plants and returns nutrients to the soil. This cycle improves soil quality and water retention, preventing excessive runoff from rainfall.
- Wildfire suppression: Grazing helps manage overgrowth—often inclusive of invasive weeds and shrubs—that would otherwise act as wildfire fuel. By reducing overgrowth and increasing soil moisture, grazing significantly reduces the intensity of a fire, should one catch.
- Wildlife habitat preservation: Cattle can coexist with many species of wildlife—some of these species even rely on grazing for survival. By grazing land instead of developing it, we’re protecting essential wildlife habitat. Additionally, invasive plant removal from grazing helps restore native plants that are crucial to wildlife, including insects and birds.
- Carbon sequestration: One of the best ways to sequester carbon in the soil is with proper grazing management. When cattle graze, they chew down the plants to a healthy level. When the plants regrow, they pull more carbon from the atmosphere than would be sequestered without grazing. Cattle’s hooves also help extract nutrients from manure and plant residue back into the soil, increasing soil nutrient levels.
Grazing lands in the United States are crucial for carbon sequestration, as they are estimated to contain 10 to 30 percent of the carbon stored in the soil. On land where crops would be unsuccessful—29 percent of the total grazing land in the United States—cattle become part of a process to upcycle vegetation, inedible for humans, into high-quality protein.
How do the benefits mentioned above align with your conservation values as an outdoor recreationist?
We all have an important part to play in taking care of nature. Although our roles as hikers, conservationists, and ranchers are different, they’re each crucial. We all love nature, enjoy the benefits of getting outside, and care for animals (wildlife and cattle) and the planet. If we can all do our part and help educate future generations, then we can leave a positive impact for years to come.
Why is land and natural resource conservation important to ranchers?
Anyone who works in agriculture, ranchers included, cares deeply for the environment and has a vested interest in sustainability. They want to care for the land and leave it better for future generations—just like outdoor recreationists. And without careful, strategic management, there are no cattle. Ecosystems all work in symbiosis, and if the land and the organisms that inhabit it are not healthy, it won’t be there for recreationists, conservationists, or ranchers.
Paid partnership with National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff. Learn more at beefitswhatsfordinner.com.
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