It’s been said that no other state in the country has had the landscape altered as much as Iowa has. Go back 150 to 200 years and you would have found an amazing diversity of habitats. It was a beautiful mixture of vast stretches of prairie, large tracts of woodlands, and an array of wetlands and marshes.
These varied habitats provided homes for a wide range of animals and birds too. Prairie Chickens numbered in the millions, and there were deer, bison, elk, bear, and even mountain lions, just to name a few.
Eventually though, as people settled here, they turned to farming as a way of life, taking advantage of the rich Iowa soil. And this would change the Iowa landscape forever.
Fortunately, there were, and are, people who see the benefit of preserving native habitats in whatever form is possible. They are remnants of a bygone time to be sure, and only remnants, but they are something….and they still provide a home to some beautiful species of animals and birds.
I have enjoyed spending a number of hours at a local marsh, watching waterfowl, cranes, and swans…and witnessed some beautiful sunsets too.
I’m glad it’s still around.