What's in a grassland?Esthen There are all sorts of wildflowers, many insects, animals like prairie dogs, bison and antelope — and beneath the surface, there's a lot of carbon. According to some estimates, up to a third of the carbon stored on land is found in grasslands. But grasslands are disappearing — just like forests. Today, journalist Julia Rosen shares her reporting on the hidden majesty and importance of the grasslands.

To learn more, including what colonialism has to do with disappearing grasslands, check out Julia's article in The Atlantic, "Trees Are Overrated".

This episode was produced by Rebecca Ramirez and Thomas Lu. It was edited and fact-checked by our Senior Supervising Editor Gisele Grayson. Neisha Heinis was the audio engineer.