Roeslein Alternative Energy (RAE) has fully sponsored an exhibit hosted by Noppadol Paothong.
The exhibit will feature 40 to 50 images from Paothong’s book, Sage Grouse, Icon of the West, in large format to tell the story of the sage grouse birds, their habitat, and other wildlife that are under threat. Paothong released his book in Nov. 2017 to raise awareness on the threatened species that makes its home only in the western part of North America.
“The sage grouse are a dramatic and impressive bird that easily capture the heart of people who are fortunate enough to witness them. Rudi Roeslein is one of the sponsors that made this book a reality, and I can’t thank him enough,” Paothong added.
RAE and Pathong’s missions are much the same: to bring awareness, to restore, and to protect wildlife and ecosystems. They aim to find solutions for sage grouse affected by oil and gas exploration, and the development of land for agriculture and livestock grazing. While Paothong’s work focuses on bringing awareness to certain affected habitats, RAE focuses on incorporating native prairie restoration into its services with a vision of restoring 30 million acres of grasslands on marginal land throughout the Midwest region within the next 30 years.
The diversity of a habitat is directly related to the diversity of the wildlife populations which it houses. RAE’s vision for prairie restoration calls for providing a diverse mix of prairie biomass plantings that would be similar to those grasses native to the ecosystem.
The exhibit is taking place at the Montminy Gallery Boone County History and Culture Center in Columbia, MO, April 5th through May 27th.
By planting similar grasses to those naturally found in the ecosystem, RAE is able to provide a valuable resource for the area’s birds, insects, and animals to thrive in these areas. The emphasis on perennial grasses to mimic the natural conditions for these grasslands helps to provide ongoing food and water resources for the animal and bird population. Restored prairies provide nectar that supports insects to benefit insect-pollinated food crops in nearby fields.
Noppadol Poathong is an award-winning nature and conservation photographer. His focus has been on rare and endangered species, primarily on grassland grouse and their habitat. He is a staff wildlife photographer with the Missouri Department of Conservation, and his images regularly appear in their publications, including Missouri Conservationist and Xplor.
Roeslein Alternative Energy was founded in 2012 as an operator and developer of renewable energy production facilities that converts agricultural and industrial wastes along with renewable biomass feedstocks to renewable natural gas and sustainable co-products. RAE engages in these business operations with a focus on incorporating native prairie restoration. RAE is a limited liability corporation with its principal office located in St. Louis, Missouri. To find out more, please visit www.roesleinae.com.