Sara Domek – The Science and Story of Wyoming’s Wildlife Migration

Sara Domek is Wyoming’s Migration Program Director for The Nature Conservancy. Sara grew up in the small town of Kemmerer and later moved to Pinedale, giving her a rare, firsthand perspective on Wyoming’s working landscapes—both from a natural resources and a conservation standpoint. Her upbringing, paired with years of experience working in nonprofits, agencies, and boots-on-the-ground conservation, makes her uniquely suited to lead TNC’s efforts to protect Wyoming’s world-renowned wildlife migrations.

If you’ve spent any time driving through Wyoming, you’ve probably cruised past some of the most important migration corridors in North America—maybe without even realizing it. Sara and her team are working to keep those landscapes permeable, helping mule deer, pronghorn, elk, and other species continue the seasonal journeys they’ve been making for thousands of years. We talk about the science behind migration, how seemingly small barriers like fences can create big challenges for wildlife, and how collaborative conservation—between landowners, agencies, and nonprofits—can create real, lasting wins.

Sara also shares some fascinating details about Wyoming’s longest mule deer migration, the importance of building trust with local communities, why cheatgrass is a bigger villain than it looks, and how carefully designed wildlife crossings can benefit both animals and people. We also get into her favorite books, why she’s hopeful about the future, and, once again, the simple but powerful idea that success in conservation often comes down to strong relationships.

This is a thoughtful and inspiring conversation with someone who truly embodies the spirit of collaborative, community-driven conservation. I hope you enjoy!

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• The Right to Roam: Sustaining Wyoming’s Migratory Herds
• Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/sara-domek

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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:

• 2:50 – Intro, growing up in Wyoming and valuing natural resources
• 6:09 – Pinedale and the Wind Rivers
• 7:15 – Plan after high school
• 10:37 – Finding TNC
• 14:16 – Sara describes her job
• 17:21 – Mule deer and pronghorn migration corridors
• 21:57 – Fencing and migration
• 26:25 – Getting the word out about fencing
• 29:27 – Migration primer: distance, predators and collisions
• 35:54 – Valley of the warm winds
• 42:37 – RCPP programs
• 45:27 – Cheatgrass 101
• 48:54 – Important partners
• 51:08 – Prioritizing projects
• 54:40 – What Sara’s looking forward to
• 57:57 – Where to learn more
• 1:00:22 – Book recs
• 1:03:04 – Parting words

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