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Land once purchased for a nuclear power plant is now 6,000 acres of restored prairie

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Talk of Iowa, hosted by Charity Nebbe

Less than 0.1% of Iowa's tallgrass prairie remains today, which once covered 85% of the state's land prior to European-American settlement.

This complex ecosystem is about much more than tall grasses, as discussed in this episode of Talk of Iowa recorded in front of an audience on Earth Day, April 22 at the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge in Prairie City.

Host Charity Nebbe talks with wildlife biologists Jim Pease, Pauline Drobney and Pete Eyheralde about what led to the establishment of the refuge, the bison herd and its purpose of restoring and reconstructing native ecosystems.

Guests:

  • Jim Pease, associate professor emeritus, Iowa State University
  • Pauline Drobney, retired prairie and savanna biologist, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
  • Pete Eyheralde, associate professor of biology, William Penn University

This episode was originally produced 5-1-2023.

Charity Nebbe is IPR's<i> Talk of Iowa</i> host. She also hosts IPR's podcasts <i>Garden Variety</i> and <i>Unsettled</i>. Since 2010, Nebbe has interviewed, conversed with, and shared ideas from guests of all backgrounds and locations, and has helped listeners better understand, appreciate, and explore their state and the world around them. Nebbe has a bachelors degree from Iowa State University.
Samantha McIntosh is a talk show producer for Iowa Public Radio. She holds a bachelor's degree from St. Cloud State University. Since 2022, McIntosh has worked with IPR's talk team to bring news and features to IPR's listening audience.