Prior to statehood Indiana was a land of vast forests, expansive wetlands, brushy barrens, dense canebrakes, and prairies as far as the eye could see. Herds of bison traveled ancient paths, passenger pigeons darkened the skies, and wolves, bears and panthers roamed the land. All this we know from first person accounts provided by early explorers, pioneers, and government surveyors. The veracity of these varies but for the most part they are useful in painting a picture of “original” Indiana. Join Michael Homoya, former botanist and ecologist with the Indiana DNR Division of Nature Preserves as he discusses a time when Indiana possessed a grandeur we can only imagine, and how our baseline of normal has shifted.