Plenary Speakers

We are honored to have such distinguished guests speak with us at Rally.

M. Sanjayan

As the lead scientist for The Nature Conservancy with a faculty research appointment at the University of Montana, M. Sanjayan has said his personal mission is “…to be happy.  All my life I’ve felt a responsibility to those less well off than I – people, plants, animals.  I am a conservation biologist, but what I really am is a storyteller.”  This friendly and charismatic man, born in Sri Lanka, speaks frequently to school children and at world forums such as TED Global 2010 and the International Women’s Forum.  He is a Catto Fellow with the Aspen Institute and is a frequent guest on CNN, the Today Show, Fox News, MSNBC, and has been featured in several documentaries on National Geographic and Discovery Channels among others.  He is currently studying the nexus between conservation efforts and poverty alleviation. When not at work, he can be found fly-fishing in western Montana, where he lives.

Heidi Redd

A rancher in southeastern Utah for most of her life, Heidi’s love of the land and commitment to the environment has made her a prominent ranching and conservation leader.

Born in Idaho, Heidi graduated from Utah State University and moved to the Dugout Ranch in the heart of Utah’s canyon country in 1966.  Bordering Canyonlands National Park, the Dugout’s 350,000 acres of Forest, BLM and private land comprise one of the largest and most scenic ranches in the Southwest.

For over 46 years, Heidi has run a cow-calf operation at the Dugout.  Her approach to ranching has emphasized traditional cowboying skills and treading lightly on the land.  In 1997, Heidi and her family entered into a unique partnership with The Nature Conservancy to ensure that the Dugout Ranch will never be developed.  Today, this partnership continues with Heidi and her family managing the cattle herd and the Conservancy supporting range and climate research on the property through the Canyonlands Research Center.

Heidi has served as Vice President of The Utah Cattlemen’s Association, President of the San Juan Cattlemens’ Association, and Chairman of the Public Lands Council.  She has been recognized by her peers through the Spirit of Ranching Award, San Juan County Conservation Farmer of The Year Award, Utah Business Women’s Visionary Award, National Day of the Cowboy Award, and is currently on the Board of the Natural History Museum of Utah.

In 1988 Heidi received The Wallace Stegner Conservation Award, one of The Nature Conservancy’s highest honors, and in 2001, in association with the Conservancy’s 50^th Anniversary, she was named one of 50 individuals who shaped the Conservancy the most in its first 50 years.

Today Heidi continues to ranch on the Dugout, aided by her sons Matt and Adam, while serving as a spokesperson for ranching and conservation causes.

See Heidi in action ►

Photos:

M. Sanjayan: Erika Nortemann/© The Nature Conservancy

Heidi Redd: Ted Wood, photographer