Native prairie is rare and precious in South Dakota. In the 1970s, two conservation-minded citizens spent a year exploring South Dakota for these remaining ecological gems. They uncovered Aurora Prairie and launched a campaign to save it.

On the Dakota Prairie Grasslands pristine vistas inspire the imagination; the rugged unspoiled beauty of the land invites exploration; and the sights and sounds of the wide, rolling prairie stimulates the senses.

Aug 15, 2018 · The Prairie Coteau region of eastern South Dakota and southwest Minnesota is the largest remaining tract of native northern tallgrass prairie in the United States. With approximately 1 million acres of native grasslands and woodlands, this landscape is critical to protect for the survival of native species.

The whole Coteau des Prairies or "hills of the prairie," in fact, is glacial moraine formation. This enormous wedge-shaped plateau, with its point just over the North Dakota line and its base in northwestern Iowa, grew from the ancient highland that divided the glacier.

After 150 years of plowing, just two percent of the tallgrass prairie that once dominated eastern South Dakota remains, and the mixed and shortgrass prairies of our west are disappearing fast. Will we lose the last vestiges of wild prairie?

Sioux Prairie and the smaller Aurora Prairie near Brookings are the Conservancy’s only preserves in the Big Sioux River valley region. These prairies are unique because they lie within grassland complexes that were saved from agriculture conversion due to wet soils.

A large variety of non-game species such and bobolink, lark bunting, western meadowlark and dicksissel are highly dependent on native prairie vegetation. The high diversity of plants in a properly managed native prairie provides excellent nesting and brood rearing habitat for upland nesting species.

Whether you’re seeking the vibrant bloom of wildflowers, the buzz of summer festivals, the golden hues of autumn, or the silent beauty of a winter landscape, there’s an ideal time to embark on your prairie adventure.

On the South Dakota prairie, wild turkeys will utilize landscapes with minimal forested habitat as long as sufficient grasslands and foraging resources are available.

Sharp-tailed grouse (Sharptails) and greater prairie-chickens, collectively referred to as prairie grouse, are closely related native birds that are primarily distributed across prairie-dominated landscapes of central and western South Dakota.