Chris Pague - Stories, Science, and the Southern High Plains

Chris Pague is the Senior Conservation Ecologist at The Nature Conservancy, and he is deeply involved in so many of the topics we discuss here on the podcast– grasslands, bison, endangered species, landscape-scale conservation, and more. For many decades now, Chris has been working on the frontlines of TNC’s science-based conservation efforts, and during his tenure, he’s accumulated a mind-blowing amount of knowledge about everything from the tiniest prairie plants to the plains’ largest mammals. But what makes Chris so special is his ability to translate complex ecology into inspiring, impactful stories– stories that resonate with everyone from the most committed conservationists to people who are just beginning to learn about the West’s wild places.

Chris grew up in Virginia, and for as long as he can remember, he’s been obsessed with the outdoors, wild creatures, and all varieties of plants. He eventually moved West to take a job in Colorado with the Nature Conservancy, where he’s been an invaluable member of the team ever since. I personally credit Chris for helping me in my own journey to understand the importance of grasslands and connected landscapes across the Southern High Plains, thanks to a presentation Chris gave at an event I was attending over a decade ago. I know there are countless other folks just like me who credit Chris with helping them to better understand and appreciate pressing conservation issues— and more importantly, to take action. Between his on-the-ground ecology work and his gift of storytelling, it’s difficult to fully wrap my head around the scale of the positive impact Chris has had over his career.

So, I was long overdue in having Chris join me for a podcast conversation. We could’ve talked for many hours, but in this chat, we still managed to cover a lot, including: Chris’s upbringing in Virginia and some of our shared favorite Virginia landscapes; his decision to move to Colorado; the decades-long shift in thinking around grasslands conservation; the importance of storytelling to communicate critical science, TNC’s Southern High Plains initiative; optimism and the wisdom of Ted Lasso; partnerships and relationships; favorite books, and much more. Be sure to visit the episode webpage for a full list of topics discussed, links to everything, and a new short film that features Chris and some of the landscapes he works to protect.

A huge thanks to Chris for this wonderful conversation, but more importantly, thanks to Chris for his many decades of inspiring work. Enjoy.

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• Chris Pague
• TNC’s Southern High Plains Initiative
• Short Film: Connecting the Big Wide Open
• Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/chris-pague/

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This episode is brought to you in partnership with the Colorado chapter of The Nature Conservancy and TNC chapters throughout the Western United States. Guided by science and grounded by decades of collaborative partnerships, The Nature Conservancy has a long-standing legacy of achieving lasting results to create a world where nature and people thrive.

During the last week of every month throughout 2025, Mountain & Prairie will be delving into conversations with a wide range of The Nature Conservancy’s leaders, partners, collaborators, and stakeholders, highlighting the myriad of conservation challenges, opportunities, and solutions here in the American West and beyond.

To learn more about The Nature Conservancy’s impactful work in the West and around the world, visit www.nature.org

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TOPICS DISCUSSED:

• 3:45 - Introducing Chris
• 8:30 - Chris’s favorite Virginia spots
• 9:45 - Making the decision to work for TNC
• 12:45 - Grassland evolution
• 17:30 - Why are grasslands important?
• 21:15 - Science and storytelling
• 24:15 - 50 years of land conservation history
• 28:00 - TNC’s Southern High Plains Initiative
• 35:15 - Protecting land
• 42:30 - Keep or sell?
• 47:45 - Building relationships
• 52:45 - Ted Lasso and optimism
• 56:45 - Increase in partnerships
• 58:45 - What Chris is excited about
• 1:03:45 - Book recs
• 1:06:45 - Parting words

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