WHAT I DO
My Goal
Save the Dance is my capstone project focused on the conservation of the Great Plains of North America. The main goal is to raise awareness to what is happening to the prairie by drawing attention to two species that will save the prairie. Those species are the the Lesser and Greater Prairie Chickens. We are trying to save Prairie Chickens because they are a key species to the survival of the Plains for multipule reasons:
1. They are a main food source to several animals
I know it sounds sad, but animals such as hawks, owl and coyotes depend on large game to eat. Along with that, badgers, skunks, foxes and other medium sized mammals rely on ground nesting bird's eggs as a source of protein.
2. The lekking and roosting grounds are kept short
The lekking grounds are kept short for Prairie Dog colonies, which require short grass to function properly. The prairie dog is a keystone species, meaning the ecosystem of which they live would colpase without them. More than 90% of Prairie Chicken leks are held on Prairie Dog colonies
3. Saving the Prairie Chicken would also save the prairie in which they live
Prairie Chickens are mainly suffering from habitat loss. Therefore, restoring Prairie Chicken populations would have to restore the populations of Black Footed Ferrets, Prairie Dogs, Kit foxes, Pronghorn, Bison, Monarch Butterflies and so many others that depend on the swaying grasses of North America.
