The Prairie Ecologist
Nebraska Stories
Air Date: 02/05/2026
Chris Helzer is on a mission to protect and elevate one of Nebraska’s most vital and often overlooked ecosystems, the prairie. As Director of Science and Stewardship for The Nature Conservancy, Helzer helps guide stewardship efforts at the Platte River Prairies and the Niobrara Valley Preserve. Through his macro photography and writing, he reveals the prairie’s quiet beauty and reminds us why it matters.
Chris Helzer getting up close and personal with insects.
Chris Helzer working in his office.
Just as mail carriers make their rounds in every kind of weather, Nebraska Public Media’s production crews head out in all conditions to record the stories that matter.
Producer:
Kelly Rush