Restoration ecology efforts are being made to return park grasslands to native prairie.

The difference is that preserving and restoring native prairie has long been a high-profile cause with conservationists.

This acreage was then transformed from farmers' fields to native prairies, wetlands and forest.

It also contains some of the last old growth forest in Erie County and former farm fields that are being restored to native prairie.

All programs take place on the native prairie of Grasslands National Park.

Approximately 68 percent of the land in the three county area remains virgin sod - native mixed-grass prairie.

The conversion of native prairie to cropland is very detrimental to these birds.

With little assistance, the field has begun to revert to native prairie.

A large amount of native prairie and woodland have been converted back over the years in the area.

Its mission is to promote, preserve and expand the native prairie in southwest Minnesota.