Seven Generations of Love

"The ranch, it turns out, is no ordinary ranch. It is a 13,000-acre property nestled next to Laramie Peak that Mark's grandfather bought in 1945. It is made up of hills and valleys, meadows and creeks, plains and buttes, caves and waterfalls. Sage and cheat grass cover the ground, and pine trees spring up near the hills. Giant granite boulders give way to cliffs and streams. All kinds of wildlife live there: bison, elk, whitetail deer, coyotes, pronghorn antelope, mountain lions, bears, foxes, ravens, magpies, bald eagles and more. It used to be a cattle ranch. But twenty years ago, they sold all the cattle, took down all the interior fences... and bought a herd of buffalo. The thing about buffalo is that they are so massive and powerful and un-tame-able that on a bison ranch, you just let them roam free. You just let the land be the land, and the animals be the animals." A visit to her boyfriend's beloved family ranch catalyzed Kim Morrow's inquiry into our personal responsibility as stewards of this planet we call home. She shares more in this evocative piece. 

http://www.dailygood.org/story/2252/seven-generations-of-love-kim-morrow/