It’s a clear, May morning, on the plains of eastern Montana.
The dawn chorus of birds welcomes the sun as it crests over hills of waving bunch grass. You can’t turn in any direction here without seeing a meadowlark singing atop a shrub or fencepost.
You also can’t look anywhere without seeing, or hearing, cows.
The Northern Great Plains from Montana to the Dakotas supports critical breeding habitat for five of the most at-risk species of grassland birds in North America. It’s also about 70 percent private land.
Retaining the large chunks of prairie habitat that remain, while keeping family farms intact, is a balancing act. And it’s the driver behind unique collaborations between agricultural producers, state and federal agencies, and nonprofits.
Read more and listen to a short podcast on the Northern Great Plains Joint Venture website >>
Photo of Lark Sparrow by Tayler Scherr
