It would be hard to argue that any state has changed, in terms of its ecology and environment, any more than Iowa has in the last 150 years or so. The land was once dominated by native prairies, marshes, and wetlands. Today much of Iowa has been drained, cleared, and cut under by the plow. Only remnants remain of its original splendor. But within these small confines you can get an idea of what once was. Marsh hawks glide over the grasses searching for mice during the day, and as night falls, Short-eared owls take up the search. A small band of Prairie Chickens do battle on their lek…and life within these little microcosms seems just like it always was.