26. A Philosopher's Guide to Land Stewardship with Chad Graeve, Natural Resource Specialist in Pottawattamie County

Why do we cut cedars out of prairies? Why do we thin trees in forests and oak savannas? Why do we burn?

For many of us, the answers to those questions are fairly straightforward. But some people think about land management on a deeper level. They see thinning operations as managing the flow of energy in a system. Or they seek to understand the microclimate impacts from prescribed fire.

Some people focus on the "why" before the "what" and the "how" when it comes to working in conservation. My guest for this episode, Chad Graeve, is definitely one of those people. As the Natural Resource Specialist at Pottawattamie County Conservation, Chad has spent nearly 30 years honing his "why" and in this conversation, we dive deep into the evolution of his philosophies regarding land stewardship, hiring practices, team building, balancing outdoor recreation with natural area management, and much more.

I left this conversation with a new way of looking at the lands I manage and it's reignited my passion for understanding the "why" behind our decisions as an organization. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.