2018 Speakers

Jeremy Maestas

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Jeremy has lived and worked in Nevada, Colorado, Utah, and Oregon helping to conserve wildlife and working landscapes. Since 2002, he has worked for the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service as a wildlife biologist and ecologist. In his current role, he provides leadership on science and technology development and transfer for the agency across the western US. Much of his career has focused on improving the resilience of working lands, where contributions have included large-scale strategic approaches to tackling juniper expansion, reducing wildfire and cheatgrass impacts, and restoring riparian and wet meadow systems. Jeremy and his family live in Bend, Oregon.

Good for the Bird, Good for the Herd

Building resilience for wildlife and ranching in the sagebrush sea

Across the West, a new paradigm for conserving at-risk species is taking root as local communities work toward a shared vision of building resilience for wildlife and working lands. Under the banner of the NRCS-led Sage Grouse Initiative, ranchers and partners are voluntarily implementing practices to protect and restore sagebrush rangelands and reduce the need for species regulation. One such example of this collaboration comes from the Gunnison Basin, Colorado, where a broad public-private partnership is applying simple restoration techniques pioneered by Bill Zeedyk to restore wet meadows and enhance resilience to drought. New science shows restored areas are 24% more productive and stay greener longer, boosting green groceries for wildlife and cattle. This panel with Nathan Seward will highlight successes from Gunnison and discuss transferability of this innovative effort to other working lands.

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Highlights from last year’s event.

We invite you to enjoy videos from our 2017 Conference here. The annual Quivira Conference is internationally renowned for bringing together leaders, innovators, and stewards of the land for three days of provocative plenary presentations, roundtable discussions, and networking with diverse attendees from across the southwest, the country, and globe. The conference creates a unique environment where ideas are sown, exchanged, and grown. Quivira’s outstanding speakers and attendees contribute expertise in ranching, farming, conservation, community, and all things soil, which is the key to it all. Every attendee brings something unique to the table, and each departs with inspiration, new connections, broader perspectives, and the tools necessary to effect change.

2017 Conference Speaker Videos

The Quivira Coalition documents its conference every year. We love to share the content of this event with those who were not able to join us in person. You can also view the 2017 videos, along with past years, on the Quivira You Tube page.

2017 filming by Crash Roll Films and editing by Downstream Media Maven.

Rio Grande Water Fund Panel

Rio Grande Water Fund Panel - Fire and Rain: Economic, Ecological and Community Resilience Sandra Postel, Laura McCarthy, Katherine Kuhas, Toner Mitchell This panel of experts will discuss the Rio Grande Water Fund, an innovative project created to invest in the long...

Allen Williams – Restore Soil and Ecosystem Health with Adaptive Grazing

Allen Williams Restore Soil and Ecosystem Health with Adaptive Grazing Allen Williams will speak on adaptive grazing, which produces positive compounding effects that can significantly benefit soil health, plant species complexity and diversity, insect and pollinator...

Rick Danvir – Comparing Effects of Time-Controlled Grazing…

Rick Danvir Comparing Effects of Time-Controlled Grazing, Traditional Management, and Rest on Vegetative Covers For centuries, apprenticeship has been the means of passing on the skills of many trades, from engravers and silversmiths in the middle ages, to...