‘Wild places are worth fighting for’: Concern grows for receding South Dakota wetlands

John Cooper, 80 years old and with a new set of knees, still rises before the sun, dons waders, sets up decoys and tries to call in ducks.
“I love waterfowl hunting,” he whispered, nestled into the cattails along the edge of a pond this fall. “The immersive experience of the hunt, learning about these ecosystems, being involved in waterfowl conservation – I love everything about it.”
These days, he worries about disappearing wetlands and hopes the next generation will stop the losses. Activists across the nation share his concern.