American Prairie

Description

American Prairie is a nonprofit organization working to create one of the largest nature reserves in the United States.

It assembles land in Montana’s Great Plains by acquiring private property and linking it to existing public land, aiming to connect 3.2 million acres of short grass prairie. The organization restores the prairie ecosystem, works on bison restoration, and monitors biodiversity through ecological indicators such as plant diversity, grazing, fire, hydrology and predators.

It collaborates with nonprofits, Indigenous communities, neighbors, local communities, and federal and state land managers. American Prairie also shares the landscape with the public through visits to the reserve and its National Discovery Center, and runs a field school offering outdoor education. It is funded largely by individual donors.

The organization is based in Montana and operates the National Discovery Center in Lewistown, Montana.