The tallgrass prairie–a literal sea of grass–once stretched from Manitoba to Texas, a landscape of almost unimaginable natural abundance.
Heading west, Lewis and Clark came upon savannahs as far as the eye could see, covered with herds of bison, elk, antelope, and deer.
Only a tiny fraction of the original tallgrass prairie remains, its rich soils now nurturing agricultural crops.
Organizations like the Missouri Prairie Foundation are preserving and restoring remnants of this American landscape.
Here, in spring, bluestem grasses wave gently in a soft morning breeze, and this Henslow’s Sparrow perches to sing its abrupt song.