Northern Great Plains Stories

After 51 years, swift foxes return to the grasslands of Fort Belknap Indian Reservation in Montana
Twenty-seven swift foxes were brought to the area from Wyoming in September, marking the beginning of a five-year reintroduction program led by the Assiniboine (Nakoda) and Gros Ventre (Aaniiih) Tribes of Fort Belknap.
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100 bison find a new home with the Rosebud Sioux Tribe
October 30, 2020The Tribe will create the largest native-owned and managed bison herd in North America. These 100 bison are the first of as many as 1,500 animals setting foot on 28,000 acres of native grassland.
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New project will help improve 1 million acres of grasslands to help fight the climate crisis
September 22, 2020WWF is joining forces with The Walmart Foundation, McDonald’s, and Cargill to invest more than $6 million in this initiative to make lasting improvements to America’s iconic grasslands.
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America's disappearing backyard
August 05, 2020From 2014 to 2018, tillage of grasslands across the Great Plains occurred at an average rate of four football fields lost every minute. This means that millions of acres of America’s temperate grassland, one of only four left in the world and a critically important ecosystem, is being plowed up for crop production.
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Cindy and Harry Eisenberg on leaving a legacy for nature
WWF Magazine: Fall 2020Cindy and Harry Eisenberg reflect on the meaningful experiences that continue to inspire their support of WWF. -
Rosebud Sioux Tribe will create the largest native-owned and managed bison herd in North America
May 07, 2020The Rosebud Sioux tribe committed 28,000 acres of native grassland for the creation of a new plains bison herd. With a capacity to support 1,500 animals, the Wolakota Buffalo Range will become North America’s largest Native American owned and managed bison herd.
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Working together for grasslands
The Northern Great Plains is one of the world’s last great, remaining grasslands. Across its 183 million acres, nearly 132 million remain intact. Among those acres that are still intact, approximately 70% is privately owned, and often by ranching families.
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Newly patented technology helps save endangered black-footed ferrets
WWF, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Model Avionics developed an innovative system to deliver plague protection for black-footed ferrets in the form of peanut butter-flavored baits by drones or all-terrain vehicles to prairie dogs. Recently, the team received a patent for the design—a first for WWF!
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Party in the grass
WWF Magazine: Winter 2019The grasslands buzz with often unseen biodiversity. This medley of wildlife images offers a dizzying look at the insects and plants that contribute to the ecosystem of the Northern Great Plains. -
Stewards of the prairies
WWF Magazine: Winter 2019Economic and cultural pressures have made ranching more challenging in recent years. WWF has been working with ranchers to help keep the grasslands intact to the benefit of both ranchers and wildlife. -
Welcome home! Bison released into new territory
October 11, 2019Bison in Badlands National Park now have an additional 22,553 acres to roam thanks to a passionate group of supporters who want to see America’s national mammal thrive.
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Understanding grassland loss in the Northern Great Plains
WWF Magazine: Winter 2018Each year, WWF uses data from the USDA to track the conversion of grasslands to cropland across the Great Plains of North America and compare the loss to that of previous years. Here's what we found. -
Seven unsung ecosystems we need to survive
They may not be household names, but these ecosystems are vital to the health of our planet. They support an incredible range of plants and animals, as well as millions of people and their communities, and play a critical role in fighting climate change.
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The next Dust Bowl? Great Plains grassland loss slows overall, but rises in South Dakota
WWF’s latest annual study of the extent and impact of conversion of grasslands to croplands reveals that though such activity activity generally declined across the Great Plains in 2017, it has nearly doubled in South Dakota within the same time span. -
5 ways to shop and eat smarter for the climate
As shoppers and eaters, we have immense power to save habitats, fight climate change, and keep our planet livable by taking simple actions at home and in stores every day. Here are five steps you can take right now.
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5 Reasons the Farm Bill Matters to Conservation
April 25, 2018Right now, members of Congress are working out the final details of the 2018 Farm Bill, and the stakes for conservation are huge.
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Ensuring sustainable food production for people and pollinators
WWF Magazine: Summer 2018Bees are arguably the most effective pollinators of crops and wild plants in North America, joined by flies, wasps, beetles, bats, butterflies, and birds. -
Grassland songbird populations pressured by the plow
October 24, 2017Grassland birds native to the Northern Great Plains are losing vital habitat in the form of plow-up for row crop agriculture.
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Can drones help save the black-footed ferret?
WWF Magazine: Winter 2017What methods are most effective for distributing sylvatic plague vaccine to prairie dogs, the endangered black-footed ferret’s prey? -
Del First and Ethan Three Stars are revitalizing their native Dakota language
WWF Magazine: Summer 2017When Del First was growing up on Fort Peck Indian Reservation in the 1960s, everyone in his neighborhood spoke Dakota, a language of the Sioux Nation. Today, hardly anyone does. -
Grassland birds of the Northern Great Plains
WWF Magazine: Summer 2017Grassland birds have taken a nosedive in recent decades: They’re the fastest-declining bird group in North America. -
WWF supporters raise more than $250,000 to help bison in Badlands National Park
March 30, 2017In early March, nearly 2,500 people donated a total of $256,512 to extend bison habitat at the park from 57,640 acres to 80,193 acres. This will allow the park to achieve and sustain a herd of more than 1,000 bison, and will allow more park visitors to see and learn about the United States’ National mammal.
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A rainfall simulator helps us understand grasslands
WWF Magazine: Spring 2017Every year, trillions of gallons of rainfall and snowmelt pour into the grasslands of the Northern Great Plains. But the role the grasslands play in capturing all that liquid is often poorly understood. Enter the rainfall simulator. -
The story of soy
December 14, 2016Behind beef, soy is the second largest agricultural driver of deforestation worldwide. From the Northern Great Plains of the U.S. to the Amazon of Brazil, forests, grasslands, and wetlands are being plowed up to make room for more soy production.
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Cedar and steel: a day in the life of a young rancher
Kate Rasmussen of South Dakota offers readers a glimpse into the life of a next-generation rancher from the Northern Great Plains, one of the largest remaining intact grasslands in the world. WWF is partnering with organizations such as the South Dakota Grasslands Coalition in support of ranching families and grassland stewards like the Rasmussen family.