Across the Great Plains region stretches a vast network of protected grasslands and wetlands, from the never-ending grain fields of Kansas and Nebraska to the dusty prairie pothole regions of the Dakotas and Montana. These crucial ecosystems teem with wildflowers and tall swaying grasses, while cattails and bulrushes rustle next to quiet ponds, and throughout it all untold numbers of insects and small animals thrive. Overhead, all manner of birds soar, often stopping here during their crucial summer and winter migration periods to rest and raise new families. But here is the really interesting part of this story: Almost all of this land is privately owned, and if it weren’t for hunters, farmers, and ranchers, none of it would probably be here.
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