Aaron E. Price

Gracie Creek Ranch

Jul 23, 2009

1. What interaction with an animal and/or nature in your life has had the biggest impact on you?

Interacting with horses have impacted me the most. There are many lessons horses can teach one about life, relationships, and yourself. The greatest lesson I think is responsibility.

2. Did you have a favorite place in the great outdoors during your childhood? How about now??

Yes, I grew up on a large cattle ranch in the Nebraska Sand Hills. We have a large shelter belt of trees my dad and others have planted and I would spend hours each day running around these trees and exploring the prairie. This childhood experience instilled many early ecological lessons and a sense of responsibility to my home. I would not have the interests in environmental/agricultural issues if it wasn't for the ranch being my playground as a youth.

3. As a former zookeeper, I would love to know what your favorite animal is, and why?

My favorite animal is a Sand Hill Crane. This bird is fortunate enough to take part in one of the largest animal migrations in the world, and their view of my precious Great Plains in this process has to be outstanding. Their genetic memory runs deep and they're argued to be one of the oldest birds in the world, and I find it fascinating one crane can differentiate between the static bird noises of other clans and find their family in the middle of the North Platte River.

4. What do you think is the greatest environmental challenge facing us now, and what do you think will be the greatest challenge in the future?

The greatest environmental challenge facing humanity is climate change. If we neglect to meet this challenge, we're neglecting an ethical obligation to our children. With the greatest challenges comes the greatest opportunities, but we have to be willing to look inside ourselves and be able to act collectively. But I see three key issues under this issue we all need to address including: clean energy production, ridding the world of poverty

5. If you could give everyone one piece of advice regarding the environment and our natural resources, what would it be?

Agriculture encompasses one of the largest land uses in the world. We have a world population expected to reach 9 to 10 billion, and our ecosystems are being stressed to meet this food demand. We still need to preserve areas, but this model is lacking in our new environmental challenge realities compared to when these systems first started. More work needs to be focused in incorporating conservation practices into our working lands to ensure we can preserve the integrity of these food systems.