Kevin Krasnow is the Conservation Director at the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance, a long-standing, highly effective organization whose mission is to “protect the wildlife, wild places, and community character of Jackson Hole.” For more than four decades, the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance has been a staunch advocate for keeping Jackson Hole wild and beautiful, and it has proven to be a nimble and creative protector of the legendary Wyoming valley. The organization has served as a watchdog against poorly planned development, a champion for public land, a community voice that holds elected officials accountable, and much more.
Kevin brings a fascinating and diverse professional background to his work at the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance– he’s worked as an Outward Bound instructor, a high school teacher, a college professor, and, most notably, he earned a Ph.D. in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management from the University of California Berkley. Prior to joining the team at the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance, he worked for ten years at the Teton Science Schools in Jackson. As you’ll hear in our conversation, Kevin is a high-level expert in forest and wildfire ecology, and he speaks eloquently about the role of wildfires in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and beyond.
When I first headed out West from North Carolina nearly twenty years ago, I moved to Jackson Hole— and I will always have a tender spot in my heart for that particular area. So I was thrilled to have the opportunity to connect with Kevin and talk about all things related to ecology, wildlife, fire, and conversation in Jackson Hole. We started with a deep dive into Aspen trees, and why they are such an important and unique part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. We discussed the Yellowstone Fire of 1988 and how that disaster shaped forest management in the future. We discussed the unprecedented development pressure in and around Jackson, how Kevin and his organization collaborate with a wide range of conservation partners, his professional journey from indirect to direct conservation work, and how his career as an educator informs his work today.
If you’ve ever spent time in the Tetons, Yellowstone, or the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, then you’re going to learn a lot from Kevin. Please check out the notes below for a full list of everything we discuss, and I hope you enjoy!
Header photo courtesy of TNC: “Reflective Waters on Jackson Lake.” © Andrew Underwood; Headshot courtesy of Kevin Krasnow
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EPISODE PARTNER:
This episode is brought to you in partnership with the Colorado chapter of The Nature Conservancy and TNC chapters throughout the Western United States. Guided by science and grounded by decades of collaborative partnerships, The Nature Conservancy has a long-standing legacy of achieving lasting results to create a world where nature and people thrive.
On the last Tuesday of every month throughout 2024, Mountain & Prairie will be delving into conversations with a wide range of The Nature Conservancy’s leaders, partners, collaborators, and stakeholders, highlighting the myriad of conservation challenges, opportunities, and solutions here in the American West and beyond. You can access all of the episodes here.
To learn more about The Nature Conservancy’s impactful work in the West and around the world, visit www.nature.org
RESOURCES:
Topics Discussed:
- 3:30 – Discussing Aspen trees and how they captured Kevin’s attention
- 9:30 – Threats to Aspen populations
- 13:30 – Looking at the Yellowstone Fire of 1988
- 24:00 – How significantly forestry and attitudes toward fire have changed after the Yellowstone Fire of 1988
- 28:30 – What brought Kevin to the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance
- 31:00 – Whether or not COVID has impacted the urgency of JHCA’s work
- 35:15 – What specific problems Kevin works on at JHCA
- 39:15 – How Kevin and JHCA have collaborated with The Nature Conservancy
- 43:00 – Kevin’s switch from “indirect” conservation to “direct”
- 45:00 – When the outdoors became a part of Kevin’s life
- 47:15 – Kevin’s early career in experiential education, and how it benefits his career now
- 52:30 – Kevin’s words for a young person looking for career advice
- 55:00 – Kevin’s book recommendations
- 58:15 – Kevin’s parting words of wisdom, and how folks can support JHCA
Information Referenced:
- Kevin Krasnow
- Pando Aspen Stand
- Pine beetle
- Yellowstone fires of 1988
- Ponderosa Pine
- The Big Burn by Timothy Egan
- Fire Weather by John Vaillant
- John Vaillant
- Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance
- The Nature Conservancy, Idaho
- The Nature Conservancy, Wyoming
- Teton Area Wildfire Protection Coalition
- Outward Bound
- Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
- When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chodron
Enjoy this episode? Then you might like these too:
- Doug Peacock – 50 Years of Fighting for the Grizzlies
- Rob Addington – A Deep Dive into Western Wildfires and Forest Health
- John Vaillant – A Riveting Exploration of Fire
- Christian Beckwith, Part 2 – The Fascinating History of the 10th Mountain Division
- Dr. Katharine Hayhoe – Effecting Change Through Authentic Conversation
- 50 Years of the Endangered Species Act – Live in Austin
Visit the podcast page for a full list of episodes where you can filter episodes by topic and guests’ vocations.
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