Shifting Generations: The Bison Whisperer's Son

Episode 14: Brett Perkins is part of a younger generation of The Nature Conservancy’s staffers in Missouri, but his history runs deep. His father, Dennis Perkins, helped introduce bison at TNC’s Dunn Ranch Prairie more than a decade ago, when Brett was still in high school.

The elder Perkins is still considered TNC’s “bison whisperer” in Missouri, but he sees the time coming when his son and others will take over. TNC’s Missouri State Director Adam McLane sat down with Dennis and Brett to talk about the history of bison at Dunn Ranch Prairie, what it’s like working together now and how technology, such as drones and artificial intelligence, is shaping the future.

It’s an insider’s look at TNC’s flagship preserve in Missouri, told by a father and son who know it as well as anyone.