Meet Deanna Meyer | Executive Director of Prairie Protection

We had the good fortune of connecting with Deanna Meyer and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Deanna, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
Our organization works to protect prairie dogs and the communities they support by educating the public about their keystone role in the biotic community. We also work to inspire others to save habitats where we can and to recognize that biodiversity is essential for a healthy future for all. Grasslands are the most endangered ecosystem on the planet, and we help restore the essential species who make healthy grasslands possible.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I work to save prairie dogs, wildcats, coyotes, and other native species of Colorado. I got involved because I was increasingly concerned about habitat loss and rampant development in Colorado along the Front Range and I saw that thousands of prairie dog colonies I grew up with were rapidly disappearing. I started fighting for a local colony and launched a campaign. This brought the public into the conversation and I realized that a lot of people cared deeply about the loss of this keystone species and were also concerned about the rampant development in Colorado. I want everyone to realize that if we care, we have to act to save those we care for and that protecting and preserving habitat is one of the most important things we can do.

It isn’t easy standing out and up for species who are largely misunderstood by the public. Trying to protect wildlife is increasingly difficult in many ways. Politically, native species are a polarizing topic. Just look at what happened to the wolves. Unfortunately, it is very easy to destroy wildlife and land in this state, but it is very difficult to protect it. The work we do takes a lot of effort and public involvement if we want to be successful in saving Colorado’s land and wildlife.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would encourage my friends to visit the mountains, the forests, prairies and any other place where folks can experience nature and the beauty of Colorado. Observing prairie dog colonies, herds of elk, and wildlife viewing of all kinds would be a very meaningful day. Hiking the Colorado trail, coming to the land where I live and experiencing a healthy forest and what that looks and feels like, and hanging out on some of our beautiful rivers. Anything in the out of doors that isn’t surrounded by the city would be places I would recommend checking out so that my friend could fall in love and help us protect what is left.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Derrick Jensen inspired me to act and protect the living planet. Derrick Jensen’s writing and work inspired me to act on behalf of the places and beings I love. He has written over 28 books which helped me learn that everything we love needs our action. He is tirelessly devoted to protecting wild nature and his love for prairie dogs and all other keystone species enabled me to understand that this culture is rapidly destroying life on this planet and if we don’t all do something to protect what is left we will leave behind a legacy of extinction. Derrick Jensen’s support of my work and the work of so many others has helped to save tens of thousands of individual non-humans as well as entire biotic communities. I will always be deeply indebted to his work and so will the lives of the thousands of prairie dogs, bobcats, bears, coyotes, forests, grasslands, and so much more that he has helped me and so many others save.

Website: prairieprotectioncolorado.org

Instagram: prairie protection colorado

Facebook: Prairie Protection Colorado