We called them pioneers. The men and women who dared to go west. When they arrived in the place we now call Nebraska, they were memorized by the stunning beauty of lush grasslands brimming with life. It was awe-inspiring because the prairie seemed to go on forever. But now this prairie is being challenged by the world’s demand for food and the once endless grassland is now abundant in corn that feeds the world. It is estimated that ninety-nine percent of the tall grass prairie and the habitat that was home to thousands of species is gone forever. But the good news is, a new breed of pioneer is on the last vestiges of prairie. They are in places like the Crane Trust in Grand Isle, Nebraska where 10,000 acres of prairie is being nurtured back to its original state by a dynamic group of environmental scientists and government agencies-- working with local farmers and ranchers toward ensuring that future generations can experience the prairie as their ancestors once did. We take you now to the only place in North America where half a million sandhill cranes are drawn to roost on their spectacular annual migration.
