Bison To Return to Illinois Prairie

Midewin Natural Tallgrass Prairie
(Image: Arthur Pearson, posted in humansandnature.org)

For the past few years, I've visited clients based in south-central Illinois. The land in that area is mainly dedicated to growing corn and soybeans. It wasn't always that way. Prior to European settlement, Illinois' natural habitat was mostly prairie grass. Some acreage near Chicago has been returned to its former state, and I always enjoy seeing it as I drive toward my rural destination. The only things missing are the bison, which thrive on certain prairie grasses, and the Native American inhabitants.

Admirably, the Land of Lincoln is increasing bison herds in its prairie lands. A piece in today's Chicago Tribune notes the experimental introduction of a small herd of bison to grasslands that once housed ammunition bunkers. The site--the Midewin Natural Tallgrass Prairie--sits about a two hour drive from Chicago's Loop.

Ever since hunters nearly slaughtered bison to extinction, the United States has struggled with ways to preserve these creatures. The fitful effort has managed to prevent the loss of the species. Now Americans can begin to view bison in something resembling their ancestral world, and develop a renewed appreciation of its grandeur and beauty. Surely that's worth a couple of hours drive from the city that once housed the nation's largest stockyards.