What we do
At Prairie Guardians, our mission is to restore and protect the natural environment by partnering with local communities, farmers, and conservationists to create sustainable prairie strips that serve as wildlife corridors, protect waterways, and provide recreational spaces. By building a network of interconnected habitats, including bike trails and electric vehicle charging stations, we aim to foster harmony between agriculture, wildlife, and human activity. Our efforts help sequester carbon, conserve precious topsoil, and support biodiversity, all while offering outdoor spaces for people to enjoy and connect with nature. Prairie Guardians is dedicated to creating vibrant ecosystems that support both environmental and community health, ensuring a sustainable future for generations to come.
We are now accepting boat and tractor donations
Farm Guardian satellite subscription
Description of our available maps
Farmers Guide to using our Satellite Data
Fitness Competition Fundraiser
Farm field runoff poses a substantial threat to river and stream health, contaminating water with nitrogen, phosphate, and sediment.
Pollution Problem:
Excessive release of nitrogen and phosphate into water bodies from farm runoff harms aquatic ecosystems, causing harmful algal blooms and depleting oxygen levels.
Planting near waterways exacerbates topsoil loss, impacting soil fertility and crop yields, affecting both agriculture and the environment.
Consequences extend downstream, reaching the Gulf via the Mississippi River, forming the notorious “dead zone” due to accumulated nitrogen and phosphate.
Impact on Marine Life:
The dead zone disrupts marine habitats, leading to mass fish kills, species displacement, and economic losses in the Gulf’s fishing industry.
Prairie Strips and Sustainable Agriculture:
At Prairie Guardians, we promote prairie strips for sustainable farming with multiple benefits:
1. **Erosion Control:**
Prairie strips act as natural buffers, reducing sediment loss by up to 95%, preserving topsoil.
2. **Enhanced Pollinator Habitat:**
Diverse native vegetation attracts pollinators, potentially boosting crop yields through improved pollination services.
3. **Improved Water Quality:**
Prairie strips filter and purify water runoff, reducing nutrient runoff and benefiting downstream ecosystems.
4. **Increased Biodiversity:**
Providing habitat for native species, prairie strips support greater biodiversity compared to conventional croplands.
5. **Economic Benefits:**
Income generated from practices like seed harvesting offsets implementation costs, making prairie strips economically viable.
Climate Change Mitigation:
Prairie strips play a crucial role in sequestering carbon, capturing 4,000 to 5,000 pounds per acre annually. They offer distinct advantages over trees, establishing quickly and continuing carbon capture as they mature.
Benefits for Lakes, Rivers, and Wetlands:
Prairie strips extend advantages to aquatic environments, controlling erosion, filtering nutrients, providing habitat, and mitigating floods.
Prairie Guardians’ Approach:
Understanding farmers’ challenges, Prairie Guardians covers the cost of planting prairie strips and provides yearly payments per acre of prairie strips equal to what the farmer gets per acre from the crops in that field each year, ensuring economic viability without long-term commitments.
Prairie strips, advocated by Prairie Guardians, offer a win-win solution for farmers and the environment, transforming fields into thriving ecosystems. Supported by scientific research, their commitment ensures sustainable agriculture, benefiting current and future generations.
The map below shows why the work we are doing is so important.
The areas of red and darker blue show where the most carbon is being released. We need to work to get the agriculture areas into the yellow at least
Net Ecosystem Carbon Exchange
To interpret the map displaying net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) above, it’s important to understand the legend provided. NEE represents the balance between carbon uptake and release by an ecosystem. The units “gc/m2d” stand for grams of carbon per square meter per day, indicating the rate of carbon exchange within the ecosystem. In the legend, different colors correspond to varying rates of carbon exchange: green typically signifies carbon uptake, while red indicates carbon release. The intensity of the color reflects the magnitude of exchange, with darker shades representing higher rates. Therefore, darker green areas represent stronger carbon uptake, while darker red areas indicate more significant carbon release. Understanding this legend allows visitors to grasp the dynamics of carbon exchange across the depicted landscape.
If you are a farmer interested in working with us or would like more information, please fill out the form below