Whitney
The Prairie Pothole Region was well represented among the more than 350 land managers, ranchers, academics, agency experts, and prairie enthusiasts gathered in Kearney, Nebraska, in June 2025 for the Seventh Biennial America’s Grasslands Conference. The conference served as a forum for networking, partnership-building, presentations, and discussions regarding the challenges facing grassland ecosystems, including woody … Read more
January 23, 2026 — The JV8 Central Grasslands Conservation Initiative is excited to announce the official launch of its newly redesigned website, now live at JV8.org. The JV8 Central Grasslands Conservation Initiative is a long-term collaborative effort by eight Migratory Bird Joint Ventures (JVs) working together to implement grassland conservation from Mexico to Canada. The … Read more
Every spring, the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) teems with duck calls and wings splashing on water. Shallow ponds glisten amidst rolling grasslands and farmlands, filled with waterfowl returning from the south to nest and raise their young. Spanning Montana, the Dakotas, Minnesota, Iowa, and southern Canada, the PPR is often called the cradle of North … Read more
The Four-Square Mile Breeding Waterfowl Survey (FSMS) is a targeted, long-term monitoring initiative established by scientists from the USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center to assess the contribution of National Wildlife Refuge System land in the U.S. Prairie Pothole Region (US-PPR). Initiated in 1987 and managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) Habitat … Read more
Minnesota’s wetland restoration efforts are working to address the loss of critical habitat across the Prairie Pothole Region, with key projects at Butler Lake, Moore Slough Wetland Protection Area (WPA), and Herberger Lake Wetland Management Area (WMA). These initiatives, driven by partnerships among federal agencies, non-government conservation organizations, and private landowners, restore vital ecosystems that … Read more
Brian and April Fox of Turner, MT were recently honored as the 2024 MT Ducks Unlimited (DU) Landowner of the Year. DU Biologist Adam McDaniel expressed a deep respect for how Fox has managed his operation and the well-being of the land as he presented the award. “Brian exemplifies the kind of rancher we like … Read more
Thanks to the help of partners and supporters, TNC has reached a major milestone in conservation. The Nature Conservancy (TNC)—a conservation organization committed to building a future where both people and nature thrive—announced a significant milestone: 1 million acres protected across Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota. For more than 65 years, TNC’s Minnesota, North … Read more