In recent years the DNR and other agencies and groups have been working to preserve and restore the remaining tidbits of existing tallgrass prairie and the wildlife they support. In addition to prescribed burning, which revitalizes grasslands, Trauba has been working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, The Nature Conservancy, and area citizens and conservation clubs to remove trees. Prairie, by its very nature, is devoid of trees. Without fire, mowing, grazing, or cutting, trees overtake prairie and turn it into woods that don't support the plants and animals that depend on prairie for survival. Not everyone supports the tree-removal scheme.
Some pheasant hunters believe trees are good for wildlife because they provide winter shelter.
Red-tailed hawks and owls pick off the pheasants that find protection in tree stands. Egg predators such as blue jays and nest parasites such as brown-headed cowbirds thrive in areas with trees. These grassland birds are excellent at spotting a hawk flying a mile away, but they don't notice one sitting in a tree. Also, many prairie birds need to be able to see large, wide-open horizons to feel secure enough to reproduce and raise young. If they don't have that, they move away.