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\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\nBringing Bison Back<\/p>\n
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A bison at Kankakee Sands, where the herd has grown from 23 to nearly 90 since their reintroduction in 2016. Photo by James Brosher, Indiana University<\/p>\n
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Alyssa Nyberg earned a bachelor\u2019s and a master\u2019s degree in environmental science from the Indiana University O\u2019Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs in Bloomington. As a restoration ecologist for the Nature Conservancy\u2019s Kankakee Sands project, she reintroduced bison to Indiana. Photo by James Brosher, Indiana University <\/p>\n
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Native wildflowers thrive at Kankakee Sands, attracting pollinators and supporting a healthier ecosystem. Photo by James Brosher, Indiana University<\/p>\n
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\n While Indiana University Bloomington is bringing back the bison as its mascot, a graduate of the IU Paul H. O\u2019Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs<\/a> has been bringing bison back to the state\u2019s prairies and improving Indiana\u2019s ecology for nearly a decade.\n<\/p>\n \n Alyssa Nyberg is the preserve coordinator of the Efroymson Prairie at Kankakee Sands<\/a> in Northwest Indiana, an 8,400-acre nature preserve owned and managed by the Indiana chapter of The Nature Conservancy<\/a>. Nyberg, who earned her undergraduate and master\u2019s degrees in environmental science<\/a> from the O\u2019Neill School, has spent the past 25 years restoring the preserve.\n<\/p>\n \n The bison were introduced to manage the prairie, and their arrival has led to a greater diversity of both plants and animals. For instance, as the bison graze, they lower the height of the grass, which provides an opportunity for a larger variety of wildflowers and grasses to grow, which attract a wider range of insects and birds. The bison also create \u201cbison wallows,\u201d which are shallow depressions created when they roll around on dry ground. The shallow basins hold rainwater that attracts animals and amphibians to the area.\n<\/p>\n \n \u201cAs an undergraduate and graduate student at IU, I studied ecology,\u201d Nyberg said. \u201cThe relationship of life forms to one another still excites me today \u2014 whether that be the relationship between different plants, or between plants and the animals, animals with other animals, or the relationship of people to the natural world. They are all so important.\u201d\n<\/p>\n \n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n Once upon a time, millions of bison could be found on the prairies throughout the United States, an integral part of the American landscape and Indiana\u2019s history. One was even included on the state\u2019s first seal. Due to loss of habitat and overhunting, their numbers dwindled. The last known wild bison in the state of Indiana was shot in Orange County in 1830.\n<\/p>\n \n For more than 180 years, bison were rarely seen in the state. But in 2016, a herd of 23 was introduced to Kankakee Sands, making it the easternmost Nature Conservancy preserve where bison can be found. Thanks to the hard work of Nyberg and her colleagues, the original herd has grown to 90, grazing on 1,100 acres of prairie.\n<\/p>\n \n \u201cBison remind us that we have a history, and that it is a history worth remembering and sharing with the next generation,\u201d Nyberg said. \u201cWe hope the bison at Kankakee Sands will inspire us all to learn more about and appreciate prairies and conservation, as well as our local and national history.\u201d\n<\/p>\n \n Nyberg\u2019s love of nature began when she was growing up in rural Ohio, but she was unsure of her academic direction when she arrived at IU. Through the exploratory program<\/a>, she learned about the O\u2019Neill School and was \u201camazed\u201d at the number of career options in environmental science<\/a>. Nyberg went on to earn bachelor\u2019s and master\u2019s degrees in that discipline.\n<\/p>\n \n \u201cO\u2019Neill gave me the confidence to step beyond what was comfortable and reach for what I wanted,\u201d Nyberg said. \u201cThe work is complicated and integrated, from land management to habitat improvements. We\u2019re managing prairies with grazing bison and cattle while welcoming people to share in the beauty of Kankakee Sands.\u201d\n<\/p>\n \n But the work is rewarding.\n<\/p>\n![\"Bison](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/24874_20250814_KankakeeSands_JB_1609.jpg\" "\\"Kankakee")
Bison calves are a sign of a thriving herd and the success of prairie restoration efforts. Photo by James Brosher, Indiana University<\/a>\n<\/p>\n
![\"Alyssa](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/24875_20250814_KankakeeSands_JB_0700.jpg\" "\\"Alyssa")
Alyssa Nyberg, O’Neill School alumna and preserve coordinator at Kankakee Sands, has spent 25 years restoring the prairie. Photo by James Brosher, Indiana University<\/a>\n<\/p>\n