AISES PEOPLE JOHNNY BUCK G rowing up in rural Washington State, Johnny Buck spent most of his time outside, on the banks of the Columbia River. Over the years, he began to notice that the traditional foods and plants his family and their community relied on were beginning to die off and experience extreme shifts in their growing seasons. It was these changes that pushed Buck to pursue a dream he didn't even realize he had: researching plant phenology - 12 WINDS OF CHANGE * SUMMER 2017 the study of periodic biological phenomena in relation to climate conditions - to contribute to solving challenges around biodiversity. Buck's connection to the land is lifelong. As a member of the Wanapum Tribe on his father's side and the Yakama Nation on his mother's, Buck was steeped in tradition and respect for Mother Earth and the Creator at a young age. In his small indigenous community, the elders had never gone to school, but they and Buck's parents felt strongly about education, and so Buck received traditional schooling through high school. Unfortunately, aises.org COURTESY OF JOHNNY BUCK WANAPUM AND YAKAMA NATION / NORTHWEST INDIAN COLLEGE / NATIVE ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCEhttp://www.aises.org