Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
As the United States celebrates the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, there’s no shortage of reflection about the landscapes, history, and ideals that have shaped this country. For many people, iconic American landscapes might include mountains, forests, or coastlines. But there’s another ecosystem—vast, vital, and often overlooked—that’s quietly disappearing: grasslands.
You might know grasslands by other names: prairies, plains, or savannas. Regardless of the name, grasslands matter more than you might think. They filter and supply clean water, store carbon, sustain rural communities and economies, and support iconic wildlife like bison, black-footed ferrets, and birds. But roughly 70% of America’s grasslands have already been lost. And even worse, not enough people seem to notice: A recent WWF survey found that nearly half of Americans are unfamiliar with grasslands.
So why are grasslands disappearing—and what can be done to protect what’s left? In this episode of Nature Breaking, host Seth Larson sits down with Martha Kauffman, WWF’s Vice President for the Great Plains, to break down the science, history, and future of one of America’s most important ecosystems.
Links for More Info:
Martha Kauffman bio: wwf.to/4aWCVbO
WWF Grasslands Survey: wwf.to/4wmJXis
Grasslanders Campaign: grasslanders.org
TAKE ACTION: The Indian Buffalo Management Act: wwf.to/4faF5aa
Chapters:
00:00 Teaser
00:35 Intro
02:22 Martha’s passion for grasslands
05:41 Why should grasslands matter to all of us?
10:33 Current status of US grasslands
13:47 How to keep grasslands intact
24:23 Role of Indigenous Communities
26:26 Martha reflects on 20 years at WWF
28:44 Conserving US grasslands for the next 250 years
30:31 Outro
#Grasslands #Prairies #GreatPlains #Conservation #ClimateChange #Biodiversity #Sustainability #Wildlife #Water #NatureBreaking
As the United States celebrates the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, there’s no shortage of reflection about the landscapes, history, and ideals that have shaped this country. For many people, iconic American landscapes might include mountains, forests, or coastlines. But there’s another ecosystem—vast, vital, and often overlooked—that’s quietly disappearing: grasslands.
You might know grasslands by other names: prairies, plains, or savannas. Regardless of the name, grasslands matter more than you might think. They filter and supply clean water, store carbon, sustain rural communities and economies, and support iconic wildlife like bison, black-footed ferrets, and birds. But roughly 70% of America’s grasslands have already been lost. And even worse, not enough people seem to notice: A recent WWF survey found that nearly half of Americans are unfamiliar with grasslands.
So why are grasslands disappearing—and what can be done to protect what’s left? In this episode of Nature Breaking, host Seth Larson sits down with Martha Kauffman, WWF’s Vice President for the Great Plains, to break down the science, history, and future of one of America’s most important ecosystems.
Links for More Info:
Martha Kauffman bio: wwf.to/4aWCVbO
WWF Grasslands Survey: wwf.to/4wmJXis
Grasslanders Campaign: grasslanders.org
TAKE ACTION: The Indian Buffalo Management Act: wwf.to/4faF5aa
Chapters:
00:00 Teaser
00:35 Intro
02:22 Martha’s passion for grasslands
05:41 Why should grasslands matter to all of us?
10:33 Current status of US grasslands
13:47 How to keep grasslands intact
24:23 Role of Indigenous Communities
26:26 Martha reflects on 20 years at WWF
28:44 Conserving US grasslands for the next 250 years
30:31 Outro
#Grasslands #Prairies #GreatPlains #Conservation #ClimateChange #Biodiversity #Sustainability #Wildlife #Water #NatureBreaking
