grasshopper sparrow in the NGP

A small brown sparrow is perched on a dry branch and has its mouth open

Wide shot of a chirping Grasshoppper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum) in the grasslands of Ryan Sexson's ranch in the Sandhills of Cody, Nebraska, Northern Great Plains, 06-18-2019. The Sexson Family is part of a wave of ranching families and land stewards in the Northern Great Plains (NGP) who use grazing methods to allow the natural prairie grasslands to regrow, preserving biodiversity while minimizing environmental impact and preserving the land from conversion to monoculture cropland. As a result, the grasslands are preserved for future generations and a diversity of species can be found thriving on the land.