Husker researcher Dave Sandahl’s work aims to increase awareness of the benefits of regenerative ranching.
Sandahl is from Saint Johns, Michigan and completed his undergrad at Michigan State University in wildlife biology with a specialization in ornithology. He is currently a master’s student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, studying the human dimensions of grassland bird protection on private property. After graduation, Sandahl hopes to start a career doing research or helping landowners use bird-friendly beef practices on the Great Plains.
During the six years before coming to UNL, Sandahl worked at the Bird Conservancy of the Rockies covering the area from Nebraska to Montana. The majority of the bird surveys were conducted on private ranches. One ranch in North Dakota stood out to Sandahl. This ranch practiced regenerative agriculture.
“I was seeing positive effects of regenerative ranching just in my own bird surveys and with what I could hear, see, and smell on this one property,” Sandahl said.
