I will be introducing the coarse-level metrics assessment shared in my last post at The Prairie Enthusiasts’ Annual Conference (Virtual, February 7-10). For those that sign up for the conference, all presentations will be available during their scheduled times as well as afterwards for 90 days.

Justin Thomas has transformed much of my thinking, so I’m also really looking forward to his keynote for that same conference entitled “Beauty is Stability”:

“The beauty and inspiration we find in prairie is no coincidence. It is functional. Globally, the hallmark of intact natural communities is their relative stability – the ability to regenerate into recognizable and repeatable expressions over time. Destabilized systems are chaotic, species poor, and ugly. In forests, long stable communities have traditionally been called “old growth”. However, mounting evidence supports remnant prairies and other types of grassland as old-growth communities as well, with carbon stored not in wood but in soil. This awareness of the role of stability must also usher in a change in how we perceive and manage prairie systems. Instead of focusing on “disturbance” factors which are increasingly proving to be damaging and chaos-inducing, we need to highlight the stability and patternable feedbacks that define the function of these, and all, living systems. Again, its isn’t a coincidence that in stable condition the beauty, inspiration, and awe of prairies shine most. The human social implications of this understanding are wide-ranging.”

This should have you intrigued. I haven’t heard or read anything from Justin Thomas that hasn’t guided my thought and perception onto more constructive and meaningful ground.