🌾 “Prairie dogs are ecosystem engineers. As they go about their lives, they change their surroundings in ways that provide shelter, food and even nurseries for other species. On the grasslands of Montana, prairie dog colonies are islands of biodiversity. . . . 🌾 “Their burrows provide homes for many animals, including burrowing owls, badgers, swift fox, tiger salamanders, gopher snakes and black-footed ferrets, to name a few. The closely-cropped grass lawns they keep around their colonies are

Yelm Prairie Days Parade on Yelm Avenue earlier this morning featuring S.E. Thurston Fire, Bald Hills Fire Department, Thurston County Sheriff, Sheriff Sanders, and City of Yelm Police Department. | Thurston Co. Scanner, News, & Weather Blog

Did you know? Prairie dogs are named for their habitat and warning calls, which sound similar to a dog's bark. [VID: Compilation footage of prairie dogs] | Nature | PBS