41. Ted Koch on the North American Grouse Partnership

 In this episode Ted Koch joins me to discuss prairie grouse conservation and the North American Grouse Partnership (NAGP).  After introducing himself, Ted describes the falconry-related legacy of the NAGP, and gives us an overview of the organization itself.

Ted then outlines some of the unique features associated with grasslands, including the manner in which they are distributed geographically, the natural disturbance regimes that they rely on, and some of the main threats to these ecosystems. He follows this with a description of the overall diversity of wildlife fauna that are associated with grasslands.

We then talk about the legal status of prairie grouse species in the United States, and Ted explains why avoiding endangered species designation is critical from from a funding perspective. 

Ted explains why restoration of prairie ecosystems is so tricky, then follows-up with the work that the NAGP is doing to conserve grasslands, and explains the way in which listeners can contribute the work that the NAGP is doing.

We conclude the episode with Ted recounting two stories, the first involving an an occasion when he felt most pessimistic for the future of prairie grouse, and the second when he felt most optimistic.