Back from the Collapse: American Prairie and the Restoration of Great Plains Wildlife

by Curtis H. Freese

Back from the Collapse is a clarion call for restoring one of North America’s most underappreciated and overlooked the grasslands of the Great Plains. This region has been called America’s Serengeti in recognition of its historically extraordinary abundance of wildlife. Since Euro-American colonization, however, populations of at least twenty-four species of Great Plains wildlife have collapsed—from pallid sturgeon and burrowing owls to all major mammals, including bison and grizzly bears. In response to this incalculable loss, Curtis H. Freese and other conservationists founded American Prairie, a nonprofit organization with the mission of supporting the region’s native wildlife by establishing a 3.2-million-acre reserve on the plains of eastern Montana, one of the most intact and highest-priority areas for biodiversity conservation in the Great Plains.

In Back from the Collapse Freese explores the evolutionary history of the region’s ecosystem over millions of years, as it transitioned from subtropical forests to the edge of an ice sheet to today’s prairies. He details the eventual species collapse and American Prairie’s work to restore the habitat and wildlife, efforts described by National Geographic as “one of the most ambitious conservation projects in American history.”

Genres: Nonfiction, Conservation

376 pages, Paperback

Published July 1, 2023

Reviews

[David Rudin · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the early people engaged in the American Prairie effort to conserve prairie land by buying it from willing sellers. Freese does a thorough job chronicling the abuse of our northern plains. The book can be tough to swallow as it is not a happy story. The history of European destruction of the prairie and its wildlife is a dark chapter in human history. Then going through the details of the decimation of the bison, beaver, wolf, grizzly, sturgeon, prairie dogs and black-footed ferrets and grassland birds etc... are all heavy and dark stories.

Sadly there is no real silver bullet or happy silver lining to these clouds, just the hope that with time public sentiments will shift and we can continue to work towards a fully ecological functioning prairie.

[sbtbkb · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book read as an academic tome rather than meant for the general public. The use of scientific terms, acronyms, charts and high level vocabulary limits this book to a narrow audience. I would love to hear the story of this region told (rather than describe through numbers). The illustrations were great though

[Zak Hepler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read. I learned a lot about the prehistory, recent past, current, and potential states of American grasslands. I learned many new terms and even about a new species (Rocky Mountain Locust)! Loved this book and I will be keeping it for future references.

Thanks Mr. Freese for putting in the effort, with so many references, to create this well-written book.

[Chad Brock · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5