Changes on the Land

Changes on the Land. . , The prairie has been changing for millions of years. Grasses have grown, soil has built up, rocks have eroded, and hillsides have fallen. Rain has been followed by drought, until the rain has returned. Fire would turn the land black, but soon after, it would explode with renewed color and life. , Native Americans camped and hunted here for thousands of years, living off waterfowl, game, and edible plants. Pottery shards within the earth affirm tribal memory. , When homesteaders arrived, they drained wetlands, plowed the prairie, and planted trees and familiar flowers. Corn and wheat replaced wild grasses. While the nation's breadbasket was born, a part of our wild heritage slipped away. In less than a hundred years, the prairie was changed forever. , Plowing the Prairie , The tallgrass prairies grew where the rainfall was greatest-along the eastern reaches of the Great Plains. The grasses here once reached 5, 6, even 7 feet high. Prime grassland was turned into prime farmland. , National Wildlife Refuges , National Wildlife Refuges protect our wild heritage by protecting pieces of our landscape. Will these pieces be enough? We are just beginning to understand and appreciate the beautiful complexity of the tall grass prairie and other natural habitats. It is up to us to be stewards of these unique lands, which sustain not only wildlife, but people too. , Picture Captions , This blue goose, designed by J.N. "Ding" Darling is the symbol of the National Wildlife Refuge system. , Native prairie once supported millions of bison.