'The 7,800 acres (3,157 hectares) Ordway Prairie is located in the Prairie Pothole region of northcentral South Dakota, near Leola. Bison were first introduced at this preserve in 1978 under a year-round resident herd lease arrangement with a private bison rancher. In 1984, the Conservancy decided to acquire its own bison herd and the first 18 animals were purchased from a private bison rancher in South Dakota. The herd now contains 250-head on 3,000 acres (1,214 hectares) of northern mixed-grass prairie.'

Acknowledgements

This article is a lightly edited reproduction of source material provided to docents of the Tall Grass Prairie Preserve by The Nature Conservancy for dissemination to the public.