Sitting in the driver’s seat of an antique combine east of Moorhead, Sam Stueber can see the past, present and future of Minnesota’s changing environment.

On this day, she’s working in a field of ancient and unspoiled prairie in Clay County, rounding up thousands of pounds of wild grass and wildflower seeds at the Nature Conservancy’s Bluestem Prairie Scientific and Natural Area. It’s one of the few places left where you can see the sweeping native prairie that once covered much of western Minnesota.

Beyond their beauty, these lands are helping in the larger fight against climate change. Grasslands are one of the world’s best places to store carbon. University of Minnesota researchers found an acre of prairie grassland can pull a ton of carbon out of the air each year.

The Nature Conservancy along with other nonprofits and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service collects about 15,000 pounds of wild grass seed each fall using special Allis-Chalmers combines, which are lighter than modern combines that can rut the sandy soil.

Because the roots of wild prairie grasses can extend 15 feet down into the dirt, the carbon is trapped underground. If a wildfire comes along, grasses will burn and some carbon will escape but most of the carbon stays underground.

Keeping the ancient prairie healthy and growing into the future is vital. As we humans continue to dump carbon into the atmosphere, trapping carbon is crucial to the future of our warming planet.