Great Plains Environmental Education: A Personal Reflection

Abstract

While many people in my Great Plains landscape are sustained by the bounty of wheat, corn, and soybeans, the Prairie Plains Resource Institute (aka Prairie Plains or the Institute), a nonprofit organization that I cofounded in 1980 with my wife, Jan, and two other friends, has been sustained by a vision that includes additional possibilities for the region. The roots of Prairie Plains are grounded in rural, small-town agrarian values, but its foundation rests firmly upon nature, specifically the native prairie ecosystem, and upon the view that conservation is about service to people. Although the majority of our work is presently focused on central and eastern Nebraska, our goal for the near future is to share our experiences with more people, increase the program activity at our new education center, and expand our scope of activity beyond Nebraska to the rest of the Great Plains and beyond.