It's considered one of the best dry prairies in the world. A truck rumbling by in a cloud of dust is a reminder that prairie is not the only important resource here. Some of the richest gravel deposits in Minnesota lie beneath this ground. Piles of gravel poke up like islands in the sea of grass. A booming economy means more construction.
More construction means a greater demand for gravel.
In early spring the strange spectacle of the prairie chicken mating dance echoes across this ridge at sunrise. In the fall, large flocks of sandhill cranes gather to begin their annual migration. In summer, it's home to dozens of relatively rare plants and animals. As Minnesota Department of Natural Resources prairie biologist Peter Buessler walks across a 160-acre prairie plot, surrounded on three sides by gravel pits, a bright orange butterfly drifts by, fighting a strong prairie breeze. The state of Minnesota has identified 17 rare animals and 19 rare plants on this site.