#native prairie

Eastern Iowa Native Prairie

13 September 2024 | Hamilton Wood Type Museum, Two Rivers, Manitowoc County, Wisconsin

Fall is coming to the Mid-South of the U.S.

A storm cloud rises ominously above the Codfish Hollow Hill Prairie

Iowa is an agricultural state, which means much of the landscape has been altered by man to achieve his agricultural ambitions. These ambitions are by necessity economically driven…few people can afford to farm for the sheer joy of farming, it is a business and too often every square inch of land is used for that purpose. This week I had the privilege to visit a remnant of the original Iowa prairie that once covered much of the state and has generously been safeguarded from the plow. Ray and Patti Hamilton opened their private preserve in Jackson County to prairie enthusiasts from across the state.

 The Hamiltons have managed this roughly 60-acre rare biological preserve for 34 years with care and dedication that is evident in the language they used on their evening field trip when describing the uncommon plants which they encourage. Hairy puccoon, blue-eyed grass, downy painted-cup, shooting stars and cream wild indigo were just a few of the treasures that awaited discovery on this May evening when towering thunderclouds hung overhead just a few miles to the south.

Prairies and native grasses love fire, and none like it better than our very own Minnesota Mosquito Refuge.

So….

These guys showed up last week to do a prescribed burn.

With all kinds of cool toys.

They rode along Two Drunk Creek to get on the leeward (downwind) side of the refuge.

Before starting the burn.

It didn’t take long to get the flames going.

But mostly what they got was smoke.

An…

“What is native prairie? Why should I care? What does native prairie do for me? Why should we protect native prairie in Saskatchewan?” *source

Prairie Conservation Action Plan March 12-18, 2017 Across Saskatchewan Ecological Goods & Services Week – Prairie’s Got the Goods! Click the above link for information on events and campaigns across the entire province!!!  The events are webinars, podcasts with two evening live events.

For instance find out what Corie White, from Prairie Habitat Joint Venture has to say about the “Value of Waterfowl Management to Native Prairie Conservation”

Perhaps you may wish to listen to the podcast, or register for the webinar for “Pollination in the Prairies” presented by Jessamyn Manson, University of Alberta.

Trevor Herriot is speaking live in Regina on Grassland Matters regarding Public Pastures.

This is just a small taste of what you may tune in to a webinar, podcast or You Tube recap celebrating Ecological Goods & Services Week – Prairie’s Got the Goods!

What can you do?

Learning about native prairie in Saskatchewan is the first step

Plant a native prairie garden

Join a naturalist group and volunteer

Visit one of Saskatchewan’s provincial or recreational park or conservation area

Go for a hike and share your enthusiasm with those around you!Source: Native Prairie Fact Sheet

Check out the prairie grasslands at the Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area, the fire breaks between the afforested woodlands have been undisturbed since 1960 when the land was purchased, and only the afforested areas were planted in 1972, and an area of firebreak left behind an area of undisturbed tall mixed grasslands.  Come out for a hike and experience the mixed eco-system, riparian woodlands, grassland prairie and the West Swale Wetlands _ the northern perimenter of Chappell Marsh.

Follow Prairie Conservation Action Plan PCAP on Facebook

If you are busy at the times offered this week for the Ecological Goods & Services Week – Prairie’s Got the Goods!on the workshop schedule, tune into You Tube

Tune in to CJTR Regina Community Radio for a show on Our Ancient Prairie Landscape!  aired by Jared Clark, The Prairie Naturalist 11am Sunday March 12, 2017.

This is the Prairie Conservation Action Plan PCAP twitter feed

Here in the self is all that man can know Of Beauty, all the wonder all the power, All the unearthly colour, all the glow, Here in the self which withers like a flower; Here in the self which fades as hours pass, And droops and dies and rots and is forgotten Sooner by ages that the mirroring glass In which it sees its glory still unrotten.~John Masefield

For more information:

Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area is located in Saskatoon, SK, CA north of Cedar Villa Road, within city limits, in the furthest south west area of the city. Wikimapia Map: type in Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area Google Maps South West Off Leash area location pin at parking lot Web page: https://stbarbebaker.wordpress.com

Where is the Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area? with map

Facebook: StBarbeBaker

Facebook group page : Users of the St Barbe Baker Afforestation Area

Facebook: South West Off Leash Recreation Area SW OLRA

Pinterest richardstbarbeb

If you wish to support the afforestation area with your donation, write a cheque please to the “Meewasin Valley Authority Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area trust fund” (MVA RSBBAA trust fund) and mail it to Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area c/o Meewasin Valley Authority, 402 Third Ave S, Saskatoon SK S7K 3G5. Thank you kindly! Twitter: St Barbe Baker

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1./ Learn.

2./ Experience

3./ Do Something: ***

Soon the bracken became shorter, and before long it was left behind as a clearing opened where the dry pine needles covered the floor of the forest with a soft brown carpet. Rays of light pierced the canopy of the forest, were reflected in the ground mists and appeared as glorious shafts interlaced with the tall stems of the trees; bright and dark threads woven into a design.~Richard St. Barbe Baker.

To those who have seen it and smelt it, To those who have loved it alone To those who have known it and felt it— The Prairie is ever their own; And far though they wander, unwary, Far, far from the breath of the plain, A thought of the wind on the Prairie Will set their blood rushing again.