The story of how the Waterton Biosphere Reserve has remained largely ecologically intact is a remarkable tale beginning with the region's Indigenous people, the Kootenay and Blackfoot. It is an area these people went for ceremonial purposes and to hunt the herds of bison that were an important part of the prairie’s ecosystem. Things changed quickly in the 1800s when ranchers moved in, disease spread, treaties were signed and bison numbers decreased dramatically due to European hunters. Agriculture and ranchers took over. As time has progressed, the ranchers have been challenged to find ways to coexist with the powerful grizzly bear. The protected mountains of the Waterton Lakes National Park create the perfect habitat for grizzlies. The richness of this land is the result of centuries of care and management. But more than once has its ecological integrity hung in the balance, preserved at the last minute by people who seem inspired by this place to think bigger than themselves.