PROJECT TYPE: Community, Education
PARTNERS: Bison stewards and enthusiasts
VISION: To bring together the community of bison conservationists to restore bison across the North American continent.
MOTTO: Better Together
Bison conservation is part of the DNA of WCS. Our earliest conservation success was the reintroduction of bison in 1907, when 15 Bronx Zoo bison were shipped from Grand Central Station to Oklahoma’s Wichita Mountains as part of a partnership with the American Bison Society. A few short years later, ABS and WCS had established a number of small herds across the country - beginning the process of rewilding bison in North America.
In 2005, WCS revitalized the American Bison Society and re-focused its efforts toward convening the community of bison practitioners who seek to restore wild bison in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The American Bison Society continues to be an initiative of WCS today. Our signature event is a conference, hosted every 2 to 3 years. Between conferences, we host events that celebrate the relationship between people and bison, and facilitate the continued conversations between bison conservationists from across the continent.