Winner of the 2017 Selman Living Laboratory Prairie Art Contest

Whenever I thought of the prairie, I pictured gently rolling plains with wind rustling tall, golden grasses. I found that this was true, at times, but also found that there is such incredible depth beating amongst those grasses, that the world of the prairie is bursting with color and life. There is a complexity that I could not fathom amongst the creatures as small as cicadas and enormous as bison that are so intricately intertwined. The living things that I encountered were so vivacious, so unique, so deeply wild, that I could feel my own heart leap with joy as it felt the thrumming of this prairie heartbeat.

c. Christina Baal 2017