January 14, 2024

Hi and welcome to the OneBeautifulPlanet.org newsletter #30!

This message goes to my 142 subscribers, with a big Thank you for signing up. If you have not yet explored the weekly Newsletter archive, check it out. I wrote the first issue in June 2023, and an overview of this weekly effort at the 100 subscriber milestone, in November last year.

The Bison

Every week I feature a person, animal, or plant that inspired or intrigued me. It is a moment of reflection and gratitude, meant to find lessons and nurture curiosity. Prior newsletters included animals like the axolotl, the octopus, the albatross, and luminaries such as Buckminster Fuller and Sylvia Earle.

This week I am featuring the bison, also known as the North American buffalo. The bison holds a significant place in both the ecological and cultural history of North America. Its size, resilience, and cultural importance have made it an enduring symbol of strength and survival. Once a dominant force shaping the Great Plains ecosystem, the bison faced near extinction due to human activity, primarily in the 19th century. However, conservation efforts have thankfully helped revive its populations.

Bison vs Buffalo: Which One Is It?

The terms "bison" and "buffalo" are often used interchangeably, but technically, they refer to two different animals. In North America, the term "buffalo" is commonly used to describe the American bison (Bison bison), which used to roamed the Great Plains West of the Appalachian mountains. However, scientifically and accurately, the American bison is not a true buffalo.

True buffaloes belong to the Bovinae subfamily and include animals like the water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) found in Asia and Africa, and the African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) native to Africa. These true buffaloes differ in species from the American bison. While the American bison and true buffalo share similarities in being large, herbivorous mammals, they belong to different genera and have distinct physical characteristics and habitats. The American bison is more closely related to European bison and other similar species within the Bison genus.

So, while the term "buffalo" is often informally used to refer to the American bison in North America, they are scientifically distinct species.

Key Features and History

Bison, weighing up to 2,000 pounds and standing over six feet tall at the shoulder, have a powerful build and a distinctive hump over their shoulders. Their shaggy coats, consisting of thick fur to withstand harsh winters, vary in shades from dark brown to almost black. These huge creatures are grazers, primarily feeding on grasses, sedges, and other vegetation, shaping the grasslands through their grazing habits. 

Before European colonization, vast herds of bison roamed freely across the North American plains, estimated to number in the tens of millions. Native American tribes relied on bison for sustenance, using nearly every part of the animal for food, shelter, clothing, tools, and ceremonial purposes. The relationship between the bison and Indigenous peoples was deeply intertwined: Native Americans highly valued their relationship with the bison and saw them as sacred, treating them respectfully to ensure their abundance and longevity.

The 19th century witnessed a tragic decline in bison populations due to westward expansion, commercial hunting, and US government-sponsored eradication programs aimed at undermining Indigenous livelihoods. By the late 1800s, the bison population had dwindled to a few hundred individuals, pushing the species to the brink of extinction.

However, concerted conservation efforts, such as the establishment of protected reserves and breeding programs, have contributed to the bison's recovery. Today, bison populations have rebounded, though their numbers remain a fraction of their historic peak. They inhabit national parks, refuges, and private ranches, serving as a proof of successful conservation initiatives.

The story of the American bison is one of survival against some pretty awful odds. Its near-extinction and subsequent recovery underscore the importance of conservation efforts and highlight the ever-evolving and persistently complex relationship between humans and nature. The bison's resurgence offers hope for the preservation of other endangered species and serves as a reminder of the value of maintaining - and fighting for - an adequate and respectful balance between human activities and the natural world.

Sources:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bison

• https://www.indianadunes.com/blog/post/baby-bison-its-as-cute-as-it-sounds/

• https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20231102-why-grazing-bisoncould-be-good-for-the-planet

Mindset

“If I had influence with the good fairy… I should ask that her gift to each child in the world be a sense of wonder so indestructible that it would last throughout life…."

— Rachel Carson

In the Works

On the action front, I did my second cleanup of the year, at Core Creek Park, in Bucks County PA, gathering approx. 20 lbs. of litter in about 45 minutes. Other than the usual unceremoniously discarded food packaging and beverage containers, the most bizarre thing I stumbled upon were several live, seemingly well-fed, adult cats. I saw at least six of them (see pictures below), as it turns out I was right on “Cat Alley”, an area of the park that once had hundreds of cats.

A population of nearly 500 cats previously lived freely in the park, and apparently people complained about them for years. Cats were often abandoned there, which led to large colonies of breeding cats, destroying the native bird population, overwhelming caregivers, and causing trash pile-ups. Ostensibly, public outcry in 2015 prompted the municipal government to bring in a team of animal organizations to tackle the issue using Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR). So what I saw what just what was left of that large population.

On the gaining knowledge front, I am completing my research into the connection between marine litter and climate change. Interestingly, these two adverse and growing realities of the Anthropocene drive one another higher in a negative feedback loop. I plan to release the summary of my work next week.

Lastly, I am turning prior newsletters into articles on the website, under the “Remarkable Creature” category, in the Learning section of the website. Here are a couple of them, on the tortoise, and the fossa:

If you found this newsletter helpful or interesting, please share with your friends, contacts, and anyone you know who may benefit from following my journey. Let’s gain some knowledge, and take action toward a cleaner, healthier world!

Thank you.

Razvan