i would love to be given one day to travel back in time and see the tallgrass prairie of the american midwest in its prime. deforestation is easy to imagine, and i think it gets a lot of press as a result. we all (including myself) love trees almost as friends. but grasses aren’t as cuddly, despite the fact that they are as indigenous as any american species of anything, plant or animal. i just read this evening that the tallgrass prairies of america created the deepest topsoil ever recorded. that’s sort of a nerdy accomplishment, but it fills me with sadness that what accomplished that feat is mostly gone.

big blue stem (aka turkeyfoot) prairie grass

lake johanna, arden hills, minnesota