Stefanie Krantz, Climate Change Coordinator for the Nez Perce Tribe, joins ETS Idaho to discuss the link between soil health, water resilience and biodiversity. Much of the ancestral homeland of the Nez Perce people spans our western prairies. While prairies don't receive the same conservation attention as ecosystems like old growth forests, Krantz explains their importance. The Nez Perce are leading the way in applying the science of prairies to their farmlands. The long roots of indigenous prairie plants like camas store more carbon and increase soil moisture more than conventional agricultural plants. This allows these ecosystems to remain resilient in the face of drought. Protection of prairies, beaver dam analogues, inoculating mycorrhizal spores into soils, taking legal action to defend science and protect fish...these are just a few of the many ways the Nez Perce are planning to thrive despite climate change. Krantz leaves ETS with abundant resources to continue learning from Indigenous science. As Indigenous people lead the way in climate planning, this knowledge is invaluable.

Bio:

Stefanie Krantz is an ecologist who works on climate change adaptation and planning for the Nez Perce Tribe. Her graduate research focused on ecology and biological diversity in agricultural ecosystems at the University of Michigan. From there, she went on to conduct scientific research, plant and animal surveys, and planning to protect biological diversity, endangered species, and human health and well-being. During her time as a wildlife biologist, she once walked 2,000 miles in one winter while tracking salamanders. These days, she stays closer to home, watching the local birds of prey which are abundant in her base of Lapwai, Idaho.

https://tribalclimate.uoregon.edu/network/

https://nptwaterresources.org/climate-change-program/restoration-toolkit-for-ecological-and-cultural-resilience/