In this Activity, students will learn about how wild horses and burros play a pivotal part in restoring degraded rangelands and how they are NOT the cause and/or problem like BLM would like for us to believe.  This fact will be revealed by Craig C. Downer's work (a wildlife ecologist who specializes in equines (horses and burros).  His naturalistic approach is based on the interdependence and interrelationships of native species and how wild horses' and burros' natural behaviors have a positive, synergistic, and balancing effect on the ecoysystems they inhabit.  Rather than being blamed (scapegoated) as the problem, they are actually a huge part of the SOLUTION for restoring OUR public lands' ecosystems.  
 
Contents in order of use: 
1. Activity 6 Pre-assessment
2. Activity 6 Restorative ecology
3. Activity 6 Restorative ecology Template Book
4. Activity 6 Post-assessment
5. Activity 6 Rating 
 
Subject domains: 
Reading (Informational Texts): Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; and integrate information presented in different media of formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words to develop a coherent understanding of a topic or issue.  
Speaking and Listening (Comprehension and Collaboration): Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 6-8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.  
Writing (Production and Distribution of Writing): Use technology, including the internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others.  
Science (Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics): Evaluate competing design solutions for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services.   
 
Skills: 
To understand how restorative ecology can bring back the natural balance of OUR public lands.  
To learn about how restorative ecolgy is a SOLUTION to resource depletion and landscape deterioration caused by livestock (cattle and sheep) overgrazing.  
To understand how wild horses are a HUGE part of this SOLUTION, not the problem, as the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) would like for us to believe.  
To learn about the two special features equid (wild horse/burro) poop has on the environment.  
To learn and understand how wild horse behaviors, such as wallowing, have a beneficial effect on the environment and wildlife.  
To learn and understand how wild horses' powerful bodies and extensive, frequent movements (as free roamers), which is what they're supposed to be out in the wild, benefit other animals, plants, etc.  
To learn and understand what a keystone species means and to provide an example.  
To learn and understand how wild horses and burros helpt to combat climate change and reduce fire hazards.  
To learn and understand how wild horses and burros contribute to the food web.  
To learn about wild equid (horses and burros) natural predators.  
To learn about how the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) spends millions every year on predator control (killing of mountain lions, wolfs, bears, coyotes, etc) to protect their livestock.  
To learn about what a naturalistic approach means with regard to managing OUR public lands.  
To learn about what it means to have a healthy and balanced naturalistic approach to managing OUR public lands for the benefit of all plants and animals (food web).  
To analyze and examine whether this is the case (bullet point above) of OUR public lands right now (having read the information on the www.pacts4change.com website, go to Animal advocacy tab, go to Saving OUR Nation's Wild Horses & Burros sub-tab, and scroll down to the end to Restorative ecology). 
Based on the bullet point above, students will brainstorm ways on how balance can be restored on OUR public lands.