Stu Tedrick '02 recently returned to campus to lecture in the Environmental Studies Department about his work to document and film the hazing of buffalo by the Montana Department of Livestock in Montana. Tedrick, currently on a leave of absence fron Antioch College, works as Volunteer Coordinator in the Buffalo Field Campaign at Yellowstone National Park.

"I heard about this work from a friend in college, and spent a semester with the Buffalo Field Campaign. This is the only environmental group documenting and filming the plight of the bison. I wanted to be there to be a part of it, to make a difference," Tedrick told the students.

Tedrick's job is to work with a number of other volunteers to document and film the hazing, capturing and slaughtering of bison as they are moved off Forest Service land back to Yellowstone. This necessitates daily contact with law enforcement officials, as the volunteers try to film and record the movement of the animals, while the officers try to prevent them from doing so. "I want to be a witness," Tedrick said, "We need to change public opinion about this plan, paid for with our tax dollars, which calls for the hazing and slaughtering of these animals."

The Montana Department of Livestock currently enforces this policy of hazing and capturing bison who move out of Yellowstone National Park. Using Montana law enforcement officials, and the Wildlife and Park services, the bison are hazed and chased off Forest Service land using helicopters, ATV's and snowmobiles. Occasionally, the bison are captured and slaughtered; according to the Buffalo Field Campaign, 53 female bison have been unnecessarily killed this year.

According to Tedrick this policy is enforced because of fears that buffalo will encroach on grazing lands for cattle and because buffalo are infected with brucellosis. The worry is that buffalo will infect the cattle; however, there have been no recorded transmissions to date. Ironically the buffalo were originally infected in the 1920's by cattle, stated Tedrick.

The school recently held a Dress Down Day to raise money for the Buffalo Field Campaign, which depends entirely on donations. For more information about the Campaign, follow this link: Buffalo Field Campaign