CONSERVATION & TECHNOLOGY
Checking in on the Chickens HOW TNC BROUGHT THE PRAIRIE TO YOU
And since my kids were at home with me, I made it a point to share the experience with them,” Kristy said. Kristy’s twins were immediately fascinated by the prairie- chickens, which led to further conversations and early morning check-ins. “Because of the live cam, I had the opportunity to talk about grassland habitat and why it’s important to protect these places,” said Kristy. Following the spring prairie-chicken season, the cameras were moved to the bison pastures so people could watch for the arrival of summer calves. “We plan to move the cameras around to capture as many aspects of the prairie as possible,” said Dennis. Fellow TNC chapters are following in Missouri’s footsteps and establishing live streams from their preserves to bring TNC’s work to those who can’t see it firsthand. “If these cameras have a fraction of the impact on other youth as they did on my kids, I’ll consider that a win,” said Kristy.
“There’s not much that can get my kids out of bed before dawn,” said Kristy Stoyer, director of communications for The Nature Conservancy in Missouri. But practically every morning this spring, 6-year-old twins Camden and Kylee woke her up with the same request. “We want to check on our chickens!” Every spring, state-endangered greater prairie-chickens make their way onto the breeding ground, or lek, at Dunn Ranch Prairie to put on a show in the hopes of attracting a mate. This unique ritual, sometimes referred to as “booming,” is a sight to see. The males inflate the air sacs on their throats, stomp their feet on the ground and make a haunting “booming” sound that echoes across the prairie. The prairie-chicken population at Dunn Ranch Prairie is one of the last in the state. For the past few years, TNC has partnered with the Missouri Department of Conservation to offer public viewings in their blind at Dunn Ranch Prairie. “People visit from as far away as Canada just to watch the prairie-chickens on the lek,” said Dennis Perkins, preserve assistant at Dunn Ranch Prairie. “As soon as the public viewings are posted, they fill up fast.” In 2020, the tours were canceled because of COVID-19. “When the tours were canceled, I couldn’t help but think about ways to let people be part of this experience,” said Dennis. That’s when Dennis and Kristy came up with the idea for the Dunn Ranch Prairie Live Cam. “A live prairie cam excited us, but we needed help to get this idea off the ground,” said Kristy. They called Dennis Zulkowski, IT manager for TNC in Missouri, who helped configure the cameras and network to get the stream going. The 24/7 live cam was officially launched on Earth Day, and the prairie-chickens did not disappoint. “I was constantly checking the live feed to make sure it was running properly.
VISIT the prairie now at nature.org/DunnRanchLive
NATURE.ORG/MISSOURI 11
THIS PAGE Camden and Kylee © Kristy Stoyer/TNC
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