American Prairie Field School

Beau provides routine checks and repairs on all buildings, vehicles, and equipment. His work ensures easy access for guests and staff across American Prairie's several diverse properties.
Beau received a BS at Montana State University for Rangeland Ecology and promptly got a job at American Prairie, where he hopes to continue his education out on the prairie.

Cormac serves as the Education Coordinator at American Prairie, where he runs the organization’s overnight field school where students learn about the geographical, ecological, cultural, and historical significance of the prairie. In addition to managing the field school, he travels to schools across Montana to deliver educational programming and foster connections between students and the prairie landscape. Originally from Lewistown, Montana, Cormac grew up on his family’s sheep ranch where his love of the outdoors began. He holds a bachelor’s degree in History and Political Science from the University of Montana and is certified as an Emergency Medical Technician. Before joining American Prairie, he worked for seven years as a wildland firefighter throughout eastern, central, and western Montana, and also served as a youth counselor with Camp Fire of Western Montana. He currently volunteers with the Lewistown Fire Department. Outside of work, Cormac enjoys taking care of the sheep, skiing, hunting, fishing, backpacking, reading, and cheering on the Montana Grizzlies.

Dan works as the safety manager for American Prairie and also assists with wildlife restoration projects. He received a BS in resource management from University of Montana Western, and is a trained facilitator in the fields of operational safety leadership and risk management. He is also a commercial rated pilot with the majority of his flight experience gained from flying small bush planes in Alaska, and he’s a member of the aircraft owners and pilot association.

Before joining American Prairie, Dan worked for 8 years as a non-game biologist for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department where he worked mainly with wildlife restoration projects involving trumpeter swans, bald eagles, peregrine falcons, and black footed ferrets. He also worked for the US Fish and Wildlife Service at the National Bison Range in western Montana and worked as a wilderness manager and pilot for over 20 years in Alaska.

Dan is a fourth-generation Montanan. His great-grandparents homesteaded along the front range, and he and his wife are currently building a house near the old family homestead. He was fortunate to be raised in a strong conservation-minded family which pointed him in the direction of a conservation career in order to give back. He grew up fishing and hunting the remote streams and lonely fields of Montana and continues to do so at every opportunity.

Dr. Daniel Kinka is American Prairie's Wildlife Restoration Manager. His primary responsibilities include restoring and monitoring wildlife on the Reserve and managing the wildlife-friendly ranching program "Wild Sky." He also acts as a liaison to scientists conducting research at American Prairie, other non-governmental organizations, agencies, and other external entities. He joined American Prairie in 2018, shortly after completing his doctoral degree in ecology at Utah State University. In graduate school, he studied the use of livestock guardian dogs to promote coexistence between large North American carnivores and ranchers. Originally from Florida and the Washington DC area, Daniel has enjoyed living “out west” since 2010. In addition to restoration ecology and applied science, Daniel harbors a deep passion for science communication, having worked as a science reporter for Utah Public Radio, publishing in High Country News, and serving as a National Geographic Society Fellow.

Dusty coordinates all logistics for the American Prairie Field School located at Antelope Creek Campground. She works closely with American Prairie field staff as well as Yellowstone Forever instructors to implement a year-long prairie science program for middle school students from all around the state.

Dusty grew up in the Sonoran Desert in Arizona among the mighty saguaro cactus and mesquite trees. Her love for the outdoors began as a child — hence the nickname — continued to grow while working as a firefighter on a hotshot crew and smokejumper traveling all over the Western states. Before working with American Prairie, she worked in conservation education and fire prevention for the Forest Service as well as Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks as an office manager in Lewistown.

She enjoys sharing the outdoor world with children and looks forward to connecting kids with nature and the prairie in which we live. Dusty loves spending time with her family and doing anything that gets her outside.

Katy supports operations of the Wild Sky Program and executes field projects on Wild Sky Ranches, including the Cameras for Conservation Program. She holds a B.S. in Environmental Science from Rocky Mountain College in Billings, MT. Before joining American Prairie in 2019, Katy was a field technician for various research projects that focused on grassland ecosystems in Montana. She also loves spreading a passion for the outdoors and has led student trips into the Beartooth Mountains and through the Upper Missouri Wild and Scenic River. Growing up in North Dakota, she loved visiting the western badlands. It's where she gained an appreciation for our public lands and prairie wildlife.

Lars’ primary responsibility is landscape stewardship on American Prairie lands. He is originally from Chappell, Nebraska and received his education from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where he earned an MS in Agronomy specializing in Range and Forage Science and BS degrees in Rangeland Ecosystems and Fisheries & Wildlife. Lars began working for American Prairie in 2013 and is still excited to be part of a project that is effecting change over an entire landscape.

Pedro works with the bison team in the field leading the implementation of everyday actions to reach the goals of American Prairie. He holds an MSc in Natural Resources Management and a BSc in Ecology from the Autonomous University of Chihuahua, Mexico. He is specialized in range and wildlife management and conservation and is certified in Holistic Management by the Savory Institute. He is an active member of the low stress stockmanship and regenerative grazing communities. Before joining American Prairie in 2022, Pedro was the ranch manager for Chapman Livestock LLC in northwestern Oklahoma. Prior to that he managed Rancho El Uno in Chihuahua, where he was also the manager of Mexico’s bison conservation herd. Growing up in northern Mexico and having worked in the Chihuahuan Desert for over 20 years, Pedro is hooked on wide open spaces, wildlife conservation and the culture and life on the range.

Scott’s primary role is leading American Prairie’s Landscape Stewardship program; including developing long-term strategies and goals for infrastructure on the landscape, grazing and bison restoration. He also works closely with neighbors, agencies and partners. Scott joined American Prairie in 2015. Prior to joining American Prairie, he was a Park Ranger, managed recreation areas and campgrounds and did tallgrass prairie restoration work. He has a B.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Science from South Dakota State University. Since a young age Scott has imagined large prairie ecosystems teeming with wildlife and working in the prairies of Montana offers just that.