North American Plains Bison as an important piece of the regenerative picture
Undomesticated Spirit
Bison do all the hard work for us. As the largest land mammal to survive the Ice Age, and the present day largest mammal found in North America, bison have played a vital role as a keystone species in North America for over tens of thousands of years. Though almost driven to extinction in the late 1800s with numbers around 1,000, bison have made a comeback. Through their coevolution with the native flora and fauna, their grazing habits, migration patterns, diet, and even their calving and movement are all intricately tied to regenerating grasslands and enriching the soil.
Bison are natures architects and have an impressive ability to help maintain biodiversity: their thick fur collects and disperses native grass seeds, while their hooves act like natural gardening tools, pressing seeds into the earth. The unique microbes and humidity in their stomachs break down a wider variety of native grasses than cattle, aiding in the breakdown of plant material in a dry climate.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ In return, healthy grassland reduces topsoil erosion, creates habitat for insects and other animals, reduces toxins in the air, and regulates temperature.
​​
​
​
​
​
​
​
Bison or Buffalo?
The terms bison and buffalo are often used interchangeably in North America, referring to the same animal. The scientific designation is Bison bison, which includes two subspecies: the Plains Bison (Bison bison bison) and the Woods Bison (Bison bison athabascae) - now mostly found in Canadian forests. The name “buffalo,” however, has deep historical and cultural roots. Early European explorers and settlers, influenced by the French word boeuf (meaning ox or beef), applied the term to the great herds they encountered on the grasslands. Over time, “buffalo” became embedded in regional identity, language, and folklore. The North American buffalo is not a true buffalo in the zoological sense; true buffalo include the Water Buffalo of Asia (Bubalus bubalis) and the Cape Buffalo of Africa (Syncerus caffer). Nonetheless, both “bison” and “buffalo” continue to hold legitimacy in common usage. The name buffalo carries a deep heritage that belongs to the land as much as the animals themselves.