A lone coyote stands alert in the tall summer grass just beyond an NSP Management – No Trespassing sign near the Prairie Island area north of Red Wing, Minnesota. This stretch of river valley and utility-owned land forms a surprisingly rich habitat corridor, where deer, foxes, coyotes, and bald eagles move freely between the Mississippi River floodplain and the wooded bluffs nearby.

Despite the industrial footprint of the nearby power infrastructure, the surrounding fields and wetlands remain largely undeveloped, giving wildlife space to thrive. The coyote’s appearance at the edge of restricted property underscores how tightly human operations and natural ecosystems overlap along this section of the river.