The barn at the Prairie Plains Resource Institute near Marquette remains a work in progress, but once its finished it will become the crown jewel of their center.
 "We want to create opportunities for people to get out on the land, experience, and learn out
there from the land and natural resources," said founder Bill Whitney.
  The mission of Prairie Plains is to restore native prairie land and teach the public about the beauty that's around them. To achieve that goal, they moved a local barn and are turning it into an educational center.
  "The center itself will be a gateway to learning more about the prairie and the landscape we
live in."
   The 1920's barn once stored hay for a local family. Now in its new location, it looks right at home and will be a major teaching tool. The barn will hold educational workshops and serve as a community gathering place.
   "A barn seems to fit our landscape. We're familiar with the shapes and they look like they belong."
   A new internship program at the center will bring in students from all across the country and the world.
  "One of our mottos is come to learn and then go teach. We want those people to be  diplomats and emissaries for some of the neat ideas we're working on in central Nebraska," Whitney said.
   There's a lot of work left to do in the old barn. The Prairie Plains Institute sees it as their diamond in the rough in the middle of the prairie.
   They are looking to raise more funds to complete the work on the barn.

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