Prescribed Fire Rejuvenates Pollinator Plots and Private Land Habitat (video)

https://youtu.be/rBgGYeEyxho The U.S. Geological Survey at Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center (NPWRC) has a robust history of studying pollinators and pollinator habitat demonstration plots to illustrate the multiple benefits these lands provide. Like our native prairies, pollinator habitat requires active management to thrive – without proper management, the ecological and economic value of the habitat … Read more

Secret Prairie Treasures: How small butterflies make a big impact for grassland conservation

While the monarch is iconic for its status as an imperiled butterfly, there are other less-known butterflies on the prairie that deserve just as much recognition for their status as prairie jewels: the prairie skippers. Like all butterflies, skippers have wings made of scales; when the sunlight reflects just right, these scales shine like brilliantly … Read more

Making a Modern-Day Treasure Map: the Hunt for the Dakota Skipper

The Dakota skipper is a small, threatened butterfly endemic to the northern Great Plains that is emblematic of undisturbed native mixed-grass and tallgrass prairie. It was first proposed for listing in 1978 due to population declines and range contraction from habitat loss and degradation, and in 2014 was listed as threatened under the U.S. Endangered … Read more

Welcoming Lauri Hanauska-Brown, Our New JV Coordinator

The PPJV is excited to announce that Lauri Hanauska-Brown has been selected to take up the mantle as the JV Coordinator after a monthslong search. With the PPJV partnership celebrating its 35th Anniversary in 2022, the coordinator plays a vital role in keeping this conservation engine running. Hanauska-Brown joins the team in a period of … Read more

Collaborative Science to Inform Conservation of Grassland Wildlife

We’ve all seen the reports: grassland birds are declining more rapidly and more consistently than birds from any other habitat group in North America. These changes are particularly important in the Prairie Pothole Region, which has the greatest number of grassland bird species and some of the highest densities of grassland birds in North America … Read more

Partnering with NRCS for Conservation Workshop 2023

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has several financial assistance programs that can be leveraged to improve and restore wildlife habitat. Their flagship program is the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), where NRCS works with producers to develop conservation plans that outline practices and activities to address resource concerns on their property. In many states, … Read more

35 Years of Conservation in the PPJV

This year marks the 35th Anniversary of the Prairie Pothole Joint Venture! Throughout our history, PPJV partners have skillfully navigated the dynamic nature of the Prairie Pothole Region to deliver voluntary wetland and grassland conservation programs that maintain the unique social and environmental character of this landscape. While the journey has had its fair share … Read more

Small Wetlands Program Balances Wetland Conservation with Societal Needs

“One of the penalties of an ecological education is that one lives alone in a world of wounds.” – Aldo Leopold. The ecologically educated must have been especially distraught to see the large-scale wetland drainage that occurred throughout Prairie Pothole Region in the period after World War II.  The widespread erasure of small wetlands, much … Read more

The North Dakota Junior Duck Stamp Contest

Inspiring Awareness and Appreciation for Conservation through Science and Art The Junior Duck Stamp Program is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service science and art curriculum designed to teach students K-12 about wetland and waterfowl conservation. The program, established in 1989, is centered around an annual art contest and encourages students to explore their natural … Read more

Conservation planning for grassland and shrubland pollinators: considerations of context, treatments, and scale

As most people are aware, populations of many species of grassland-associated butterflies, moths, and bumblebees in the Great Plains of North America are experiencing steep declines due to habitat loss and degradation.  These declines are exacerbated by the generally limited dispersal ability of insects, which make local populations susceptible to extirpation following habitat fragmentation.  What … Read more