[Nebbe] Before the United States was founded, it is estimated that 60 million bison roamed the North American Plains.

They were brought to the brink of extinction during the westward expansion of European settlers in the 19th century.

How they were saved is a long story for another time.

But over time, conservationists have come to recognize the important role that bison play in maintaining healthy ecosystems.

Today, several hundred thousand bison live on privately owned land across the United States, including here in Story County.

♪♪ ♪♪ [Jathan Chicoine] You can imagine what it must have looked like hundreds of years ago, vast prairies as far as the eye can see against the backdrop of oak savannahs and bison roaming through.

It would have been something to see for sure.

♪♪ [Jathan Chicoine] I think maybe if I could go back in time that is what I would want to see is the bison and to better understand how they shaped this ecosystem here in Iowa, which we all benefit from, the richness, when you think about the quality of soil, all that, that they were such an important part of it.

It's pretty cool, isn't it?

(nature sounds) [Nebbe] Jathan was raised in Story County and followed in the footsteps of his father and brother by serving in the U.S. Navy.

After leaving the military, he traveled the world and pursued his education before ultimately returning to Iowa where he purchased a herd of bison in 2012.

In addition to his day job in the field of veteran's affairs, Jathan hopes to improve the landscape he grew up on by restoring it back to what it used to be hundreds of years ago.

(truck engine starts) [Jathan Chicoine] One of the most meaningful aspects of military service was being part of something larger than myself.

And so, as I've grown in my life and as I've given over 20 years in veteran's affairs, I also think what is more meaningful?

What is bigger than ourselves than to find ways to improve the land that we're on, that we can leave something in better condition for future generations.

This was all canopy, but this is where the derecho came through and just-- [Jathan Chicoine] Iowa is the heart of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem, one of the most biodiverse ecosystems in the world.

In today's context we're losing that same biodiversity at a rate never experienced before.

And so, we're just really trying to create as rich and biodiverse of an ecosystem as possible with the management of a bison family herd.

This one is just smelling us.

She's coming -- the wind is blowing this way so she's getting our smell.

[Jathan Chicoine] When I say that we're working alongside bison, we really are just giving them freedom to see how they rub against the cedar trees and to understand that they were essential to open up and to keep open the tallgrass prairie ecosystems.

The way that they wallow to create disturbances that allow other species, native species to move in, or better yet creates a little hole for that water to accumulate so that the birds can get drinks.

[Jathan Chicoine] This is an example, this time of year the bison are losing a lot of the fur and so it just catches on these little snags.

And then the birds will come and they'll use that fur and they'll make nests.

[Jathan Chicoine] Reintroducing bison to this landscape, we have learned so much by observing them and just working alongside bison.

They teach us so much about land management and this is just one of those kinds of privileges that we get to see.

[Nebbe] As part of Jathan's mission to reestablish the native ecosystems on his 180-acre property, he partnered with the U.S.

Fish and Wildlife Service and Practical Farmers of Iowa to restore an ox bow wetland, to help boost native habitat and create cleaner water downstream.

[Jathan Chicoine] What is really cool about this property, it's at the base of the head waters of the Skunk River Watershed.

And so, with this ox bow and wetland restoration project, we're really in a great location to help reduce the sediment, help improve water quality, and this can be awesome for wildlife habitat, this project.

(truck traveling across a water covered road) Whoa, that's muddy.

[Jathan Chicoine] So, this is actually where the start of the ox bow is going to be.

It will be backfilled in here.

[Jathan Chicoine] Basically what we're doing is this is the old river bed and we're just removing a lot of the alluvial sediment.

This is going to be an awesome ecosystem here that is going to really help capture flood water.

This project here just the ox bows will hold about one million gallons of water during flooding.

But we'll be planting wetland species here, of course exposing a lot of that seed bank.

It's going to be really exciting to see what emerges over the next couple of years here.

And then to see the bison how they're going to utilize this ox bow is going to be a real treat.

♪♪ [Jathan Chicoine] I have an immense sense, this really deep sense of gratitude.

What an honor and a privilege for me to be able to work the land in this way.

Those calves are so cute.

[Jathan Chicoine] There's not a day that I don't come out to the prairie and not learn something.

And what a cool, what an incredible gift to be able to learn.

♪♪