Back to Up From Dust
Up From Dust

The Green Glacier

Apr 22, 2024 · 43 min · Ep 3

A vast ocean of grass and wildflowers once covered one-third of North America. But that diverse prairie biome is collapsing, partly due to greenhouse gases and to our obsession with trees. Humans have unleashed an aggressive canopy that’s swallowing the Great Plains. For ranchers, saving the environment means being a tree killer — not a tree hugger.

More from Up From Dust

Why you should kill your lawn
21 min · Jun 15, 2026
Spying on box turtles
29 min · May 4, 2026
Stargazers, unite for science!
21 min · Feb 2, 2026
Our changing Midwest
19 min · Jan 7, 2026