At Maxwell National Wildlife Refuge in northeastern New Mexico, sandhill cranes sail gracefully over wide valleys.
Eagles glide above the rolling, wind-swept prairie, searching for prey.
Ducks and geese drift across the surface of scattered lakes, where a bounty of yellow perch swim. In the middle of this postcard-perfect scenery, a man with a perturbed expression drives an ATV across the land, his gaze fixed to the ground. What looks like another day in paradise is, to Dan Dinkler, another day in botanical hell. These plants represent a growing threat to wildlife habitat on the refuge as well as to the ecological integrity of the region. By degrees, non-native plants can literally take over a landscape and dramatically alter the ecology.