“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

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

The Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) has long been referred to as the “duck factory” of North America, producing millions of ducks to be pursued by hunters and observed by wildlife enthusiasts. The PPR is also referred to by beekeepers as “America’s last bee refuge” because it supports the highest density of honey bee colonies across

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

Connecting kids with the outdoors in a culture where being “plugged-in” has become the norm is an ever-growing challenge. A quick internet search on “ways to connect kids with the outdoors” produces literally thousands of ideas and advertisements for how this is best achieved. Thanks to long-standing efforts by the Prairie Pothole Joint Venture and

Jacquie joined the PPJV in March as the Science Integration Specialist, a new position that was made possible through a partnership with Montana NRCS. The goals of her position will be to support and work with the NRCS District Conservationists in Montana and enhance partnership building for migratory bird habitat conservation and agricultural producers across

Iowa and Minnesota’s Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) once featured a mosaic of grassland and wetland habitats which supported a vast array of wildlife. Over the last century, potholes and adjacent uplands within the PPR of these states have largely been replaced with vast expanses of cropland dominated by corn and soybean production. Multiple studies have

Even as Old Man Winter stubbornly holds his icy grip on the Northern Great Plains, the cheery chortle of the Western meadowlark heralds with enthusiastic exuberance and absolute certainty, the arrival of another prairie spring. Greeting the return of this well-known, yellow-clad crooner to its fence post podiums across North Dakota’s landscape is a broad

The State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) Initiative restores vital habitat to meet high-priority state wildlife conservation goals by enabling producers to establish grasses, forbs, and shrubs that benefit wildlife. SAFE practices must be used to address wildlife habitat that can be enhanced through the restoration of eligible cropland through the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP).

The North Dakota Conservation Forage Program (CFP) launched in the spring of 2021 supported by a $6.9 million North Dakota Industrial Commission Outdoor Heritage Fund grant, the largest awarded by the Commission. The CFP will support private landowners in converting up to 18,000 acres of cropland back to native grass while facilitating the adoption of

USDA updated Conservation Reserve Program rental rates on January 31st, 2022. Now is the time to contact your local Farm Service Agency (FSA) office or Pheasants Forever Habitat Advisor to learn about the multiple options available to increase the profitability of your marginal cropland while improving water quality, reducing soil erosion, and creating wildlife habitat