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Best of 2024 – Square Meter Prairie Photos | The Prairie Ecologist
As 2024 winds down, there's a lot to look back on. Photographically, there's no question what my strongest memories are tied to. Starting in late April, I made 112 trips (and counting) to a 1x1 meter plot of prairie along Lincoln Creek on the eastern edge of Aurora, Nebraska. There, I found an incredible bounty…
Photos of the Week – December 16, 2024 | The Prairie Ecologist
Quick announcement for graduate students doing research in the Great Plains. J.E. Weaver grant applications will be accepted through February 7. They provide $1,500 to students working on topics that will help better understand and conserve Great Plains ecosystems. Last week was a flurry of activity, both at work and home. On Friday, I took…
Photos of the Week – December 6, 2024 | The Prairie Ecologist
One of the best things about spending time in prairies is that, except when clouds interfere, you can get spectacular and unobstructed views of both sunrises and sunsets. It is, of course, a bad idea to look directly at the sun, even when it is near the horizon. The sun's light is diffused and scattered,…
Square Meter Photography Project – Autumn | The Prairie Ecologist
It's been a while since I've posted about my square meter project. Don't worry - I haven't abandoned it! I visited the plot frequently through most of October, even as insect activity slowed considerably. There was almost always something moving around, even as November arrived. More importantly, there was always beauty and distraction, both of…
Bison or Cattle? A Visual Quiz | The Prairie Ecologist
Do you think you can tell a bison-grazed prairie from a cattle-grazed prairie? I bet you can't. Bison can be found in many parts of North America's Great Plains and Midwest landscapes and I've been fortunate enough to visit many of those locations. I also work at and visit a lot of sites grazed by…
Diversifying Our Prairie Icons | The Prairie Ecologist
For most people, bison and prairie dogs are the two strongest icons associated with North American Prairies. I sometimes wonder if that’s a problem. It sometimes seems that every nearly prairie documentary and book prominently features bison and prairie dogs. So do many signs, brochures, and other materials telling people why prairies matter and/or why…
Hubbard Fellowship Post – Kees Catches Lightning (Bugs) in a Bottle | The Prairie Ecologist
Today's post is written (and illustrated) by Hubbard Fellow Kees Hood. Kees (pronounced "Case") came to Nebraska from the Los Angeles, California area. He brought with him a strong interest in grasslands and an even stronger curiosity about the prairies east of the Rocky Mountains. This past summer, whenever anyone has asked about the Hubbard…
Why Aren’t More People Talking About Migratory Flies?? | The Prairie Ecologist
About a century ago, there were lots of reports of migrating insects along the East Coast of North America. Among those were numerous sightings of large, apparently migratory congregations of flies. And then, for reasons no one seems able to explain, there is nothing about North American fly migration in the scientific literature for almost…
Photos of the Week – October 24, 2024 | The Prairie Ecologist
There's been a lot going on this fall. Much of it has been happening up in the sky. Milky way and stars above a campfire near the headquarters of the Niobrara Valley Preserve. Most of my photography is focused on close-up photos of small things - insects, plants, fungi, and the like. As a result,…
Square Meter Photography Project – October: OOPS! All Milkweed Seeds! | The Prairie Ecologist
Yes, I'm still spending considerable time staring into my square meter prairie plot at Lincoln Creek Prairie. Yes, I'm still enjoying the sense of exploration and discovery, and still finding new things to enjoy and photograph. However, in this special edition of the Prairie Ecologist Blog, I've decided not to show you the wasps, flies,…
The Beauty and Diversity of an Abandoned Road Lined with Invasive Species | The Prairie Ecologist
A couple weeks ago, I found myself in Kansas for another of Kim's ultramarathon races. This time, my son John was also running his first ultra, so I was crewing two people. (I know, I know, it appears ultramarathon running is contagious, doesn't it? Don't worry - I've been very careful and have so far…
Even More Photos From The Same Square Meter of Prairie – Mid-Late September (Part 2 of 2) | The Prairie Ecologist
Here's part two of a deluge of September images from my square meter photography project at Lincoln Creek Prairie. As with Part 1, these images all came from the period of September 8-25, 2024. The real joy of this project comes not from the species count, but from all the stories that occur at my…
Even More Photos From The Same Square Meter of Prairie – Mid-Late September (Part 1 of 2) | The Prairie Ecologist
Hey, guess what? I'm still hanging out at my square meter photography plot. September has been a month of big changes within the little bit of prairie I've been photographing all year. The month started with a flush of Maximilian sunflower blossoms and lots of bees, flies, beetles, and other pollinators. Then, I went to…
Grassland Restoration Network 2024 – Nachusa Grasslands | The Prairie Ecologist
It's always a pleasure to visit The Nature Conservancy's Nachusa Grasslands in northern Illinois. If nothing else, it's gratifying to see thousands of acres of restored prairie in a region where very little prairie exists otherwise. Planted prairie surrounds and connects small remnant prairies, wetlands, and savannas. The Conservancy started with little, precious ecosystem fragments…
Another Set of Photos From the Same Square Meter of Prairie | The Prairie Ecologist
Well, I'm still at it. Hoo boy, things have really picked up in the ol' square meter plot over the last several weeks. Maximilian sunflower and pitcher sage are both in bloom and there's a lot of action going on around those flowers. Actually, there's a lot of action away from the flowers, too. Here…
Apply Now – Hubbard Fellowship | The Prairie Ecologist
If you're a recent college graduate looking for a career in conservation, please consider applying for our Hubbard Fellowship program! The fellowship is designed as a bridge between college and career and supervising the program is one the best parts of my job. 2021 Hubbard Fellows Sarah Lueder (center) and Kate Nootenboom (right) with me.…
Grassland Habitat Heterogeneity Across Space and Time | The Prairie Ecologist
What does good grassland habitat look like? Tall, dense vegetation? Lots of wildflowers? Sun-exposed places where animals can warm up on a cool, dewy morning? Overhead cover, but low density vegetation along the ground so small creatures can move around quickly and easily? Yes. Each of those habitat types supports a particular set of animals…
Photos of the Week – August 20, 2024 | The Prairie Ecologist
I made two early morning trips to the Platte River Prairies last week to catch the sunrise and explore with my camera. We're in the early stages of the late summer yellow phase of those prairies. Three of our sunflower species are in full bloom, including one perennial (stiff sunflower) and two annual species (garden…
The Joy and Gratification of Strategic Prairie Restoration | The Prairie Ecologist
When I think back on my career so far, it’s hard to come up with anything that’s been more gratifying than my work in prairie restoration. After all, what could feel more conservation-super-hero-like than taking a low-productivity row crop field and converting it to high-diversity prairie? Today, I can walk through hundreds of acres of…
Even More Photos and Stories From My Square Meter of Prairie – Late July/Early August Edition | The Prairie Ecologist
You probably aren't surprised to see yet another post about my square meter photography project. It's been nearly a month since my last post on the project, which covered some of what I saw at the plot during the first two weeks of July. Since then, I missed a week because of our Colorado vacation…
It Seemed Like Such A Great Plan | The Prairie Ecologist
Last year, I spent several very pleasant days exploring the Flat Tops Wilderness. I backpacked up onto the big plateau and found myself a nice campsite, nestled in a small valley near a couple little lakes. To my delight, the little lakes were full of salamanders, which, along with the marmots, pika, wildflowers, grassland communities,…
Photos of the Week – July 18, 2024 | The Prairie Ecologist
I apologize for not sharing more photos from my square meter plot today (trust me, I've got plenty to show you!) but I made a quick trip to the Niobrara Valley Preserve this week. There were only a couple of short windows of time for photography, but I tried my best to take advantage of…
Even More Photos From The Same 1×1 Meter Plot Of Prairie – Early July Edition | The Prairie Ecologist
The square meter photography project (2024 version) continues. Today's post contains some of my favorite photos from the first half of July - all taken within the same 1x1 meter plot I've been staring at since late April. You might be thinking, "Surely, he's not been sitting there for the whole summer?" Nope. I go…
Platte River Prairies Field Day 2024! | The Prairie Ecologist
I hope you're ready. I hope you're planning to come! The annual Platte River Prairies field day is THIS SATURDAY, July 13. It's free! You can peruse the full agenda by clicking here. Master Naturalist Mike Schrad talks about plains pocket mice at the 2022 Field Day. The day will start at 7am, but you…
The Second Half of June in My Square Meter Plot: The Action is Ramping Up! | The Prairie Ecologist
Well, June is over, and what a month it was! My second attempt (2024 vs. 2018) at photographing everything I can within a single square meter of Lincoln Creek Prairie has been a blast. I've spent an inordinate amount of time peering at one little plot of grassland and I've loved every minute of it.…
Early Summer Natural History Stories | The Prairie Ecologist
Prairies are an endless source of fascinating stories. As I've explored prairies with my camera this summer, I've encountered a lot of those stories - some of which I already knew, some I learned for the first time, and some I can only guess at. Here are a few examples. The first came at our…
Early June in My Square Meter Plot | The Prairie Ecologist
I promise I'll cover other topics besides my square meter plot project this year. Today, though, I'm dragging you back to it once again. Rather than wait until the end of the month, I've decided to share photos from the first two weeks of June because I've already got way more than I can squeeze…
Square Meter of Prairie 2024 – May: Part 2 | The Prairie Ecologist
In my last post, I shared a bunch of photos taken during May in my square meter plot at Lincoln Creek Prairie. Just for something different, in today's post, I'm sharing a bunch of photos taken during May in my square meter plot at Lincoln Creek Prairie. These are different photos, though, and they come…
Square Meter of Prairie 2024 – May: Part 1 | The Prairie Ecologist
I'm one month into the 2024 version of my square meter prairie photography project. I can't fully describe how much I'm enjoying it so far. Kim can attest to how often I've skipped across town to lie on the ground next to the little plot. She can also tell you how often I think about…
A Post in Three Acts | The Prairie Ecologist
This is going to be a long one, but I haven't had a lot of time to write lately and am going to try to make up for lost time. To make this post more palatable, I'm splitting it into three acts. Act 1 includes a couple brief announcements. Act 2 is a series of…
Photos of the Week – May 24, 2024 | The Prairie Ecologist
Kim and I were in Texas last weekend for her latest ultramarathon race. It was a brutally hot day at Possum Kingdom Lake, a couple hours west of Fort Worth. The race started at 6am, though, when it was still pleasantly - but very temporarily - cool. After Kim and the other runners started down…
Hubbard Fellowship Blog – Claire’s Prairie Proselytizing | The Prairie Ecologist
Hi everyone. Today's post was written by Claire Morrical, one of our two 2024 Hubbard Fellows. Claire hails from Peoria, Illinois,and has been out here in the Great Plains since her Fellowship started in early February this year. She's full of energy, questions, and ideas, and - as you'll see in her post - is…
Returning to My Square Meter Plot! Maybe. Probably. Almost Surely. | The Prairie Ecologist
Many of you know about the photo project I undertook in 2018, in which I visited the same square meter of prairie throughout the year and photographed everything I could find within that small area. It was a really fun project that ended up as a book, a museum exhibit, some traveling exhibits, and lots…
Photos of the Week – May 6, 2024 | The Prairie Ecologist
Prairies are really waking up in this part of the world. There's a lot of green out there, an increasing number of wildflowers, and a big influx of breeding and migratory birds. Invertebrates are slowly becoming more abundant, too, though "slowly" is the operative word there, at least for impatient macro photographers like me. Late…
High Water and Low Bugs | The Prairie Ecologist
The Platte River Prairies got four to five inches of rain last week, filling up the sloughs (old river channels) in many of our floodplain prairies. This will help quite a bit with the lingering drought conditions we've been dealing with. It also provided a chance to photograph some of our sedge meadows with standing…
Photos of the Week – April 23, 2024 | The Prairie Ecologist
Over the weekend, my wife, Kim, and I were at Wilson Lake in Kansas. Longtime readers know that Kim runs ultramarathons and that I usually accompany her when she goes to races or long training runs. This weekend, she was signed up for a "backyard ultra" in which participants run an approximately four mile loop…
Welcome new readers! (And thank you to the rest of you!) | The Prairie Ecologist
Quickly, for those of you who might be proximate and/or interested, we will be hosting another public field day at The Nature Conservancy’s Platte River Prairies this summer. On July 13, 2024, we will have our staff and a number of guest presenters on hand to lead hikes and give presentations on a variety of…
Prairie Dogs, Pasqueflowers and Prescribed Fire | The Prairie Ecologist
I drove up to the Niobrara Valley Preserve last Thursday afternoon. I needed to be there to help with a prescribed fire on Friday, but I scheduled my trip so I'd have a little alone time to wander Thursday evening. My schedule has been pretty full lately and I needed some quiet time to explore.…
Eclipse in the Prairie (kind of) | The Prairie Ecologist
Like many people across North America today, I took a break from my afternoon to view (with safe eclipse-viewing glasses) the solar eclipse. I definitely looked up often enough to gauge the progress of the eclipse, which only reached about 80% coverage here. However, unlike many, maybe even most people watching today's event, I spent…
Photos of the Week – April 4, 2024 | The Prairie Ecologist
Today's post covers a lot of ground, but is also a pretty good representation of the current state of spring in Nebraska. There are still hundreds of thousands of sandhill cranes on the Platte River (and there were more than 90 whooping cranes around last week). Simultaneously, spring wildflowers are starting to pop. I don't…