Postcards from the Prairie - Chloe Fowler

“This summer, I traveled south into the open grasslands of Alberta — a place many people see as empty prairie stretching under endless sky. But over three days, I learned there’s far more here than wind and grass. I joined a field study in Pincher Creek and the surrounding foothills to listen, watch, and learn about how people care for these lands today and for the generations to come.

We met with Elders from the Piikani and Siksika Nations, who shared stories and teachings about their deep connections to this place and their work to protect and restore the land for future Blackfoot generations. We also visited the Waldron Ranch, where ranchers use cattle to graze the prairie in ways that echo the old paths of the buffalo — keeping the grasslands healthy and stopping trees from taking over open pasture.

Through photos, videos, and quiet moments of listening, I began to see how the land holds more than we often notice — if we slow down enough to hear it. These postcards are my way of sharing small pieces of that learning: lessons carried on the wind, rooted in story, and alive in the wide-open prairie.”