Many argue that the United States began to care about soil health during the devastating Dust Bowl–almost 100 years ago. As millions of people lost their livelihoods, and thousands died from erosion-related illnesses, the U.S. government grappled with what to do.

In one of the most profound initiatives to come out of FDR’s New Deal, the Prairie State Forestry Project took on the task of halting the menacing dark clouds of once rich earth. Join us in conversation with Landscape Architecture Professor, Sarah Karle, and National Agroforestry Center’s Gary Bentrup, to discuss the social and agricultural impacts of FDR’s “Great Wall of Trees” that spanned Texas to North Dakota–over 18,000 square miles of farmland. Facilitated by the Savanna Institute’s MJ Oviatt, Sarah and Gary will also highlight never-before-seen photos, maps, and primary source material from their newly published Prairie State Forestry Project Digital Archive (https://prairiestatesforestry.unl.edu/).