HomeMy WebLinkAbout1979 07-11 Virgin prairie discovered THE REVIEW Virgin prairie discovered
EDITOR'S NOTE: Guest contributor wild phlox, yellow ox-eyes, and black-
McKee, a naturalist-aide at the eyed susans. The phlox vary in hue but
Maplewood Nature Center, discovered a share a wonderful fragrance. Also
-are piece of virgin prairie last spring at blooming now is butterfly weed, an
he center. unusual milkweed with orange flowers
bright enough to knock your eyes out.
BY JIM MCKEE (Many of these plants were of course used
by the Indians for food, medicine and
On the east side of Maplewood, a few dyes.)
locks south of Larpenteur Ave., there is Almost always as I approach the
rare, almost miraculous piece of land prairie, some large, beautiful bird (a
ihich has been left untouched by heron or an egret) will rise from where it
evelopment. I discovered this treasure has been feeding in a small stream. On
ne afternoon this spring while looking for sunny days, the flowers are visited by
'ild-flowers that could be transplanted to tiny, brightly colored butterflies kinds I
he nature center from an area slated for have never seen at the Nature Center. (A
'ulldozing. Obeying a perennial com- rich diversity of insects is also typical of
iulsion to see what lies over the next hill,I prairies.) There are signs of other
tepped from an old hayfield into a swale I animals not present at "The Swamp,"
tad never noticed before. such as mounds of earth pushed up from
A MAT OF brown grass crushed flat by the burrows of pocket gophers.
:he heavy snow bordered a little willow There is at the prairie a stillness and
swamp. Bare as things were, it was a serenity — not the absence of natural
pretty spot, for the swale, which ran off sound, for there is always the wind, the
some distance toward the west,was given crickets, the birds,but instead a relative
a warm yellow tine by the lowering sun. isolation from man's frantic rushing
Probing around in the dead grass,I found about in his automobiles.There is also the
stems which must have stood at least five calming influence of a distant view and a
feet high last year.At the tips were a few prospect untouched by man. This is no
remaining seeds which confirmed what I limitless expanse, as in the western
suspected: this was not hayfield but a tiny prairies—the view is finally bounded by
remnant of the tall grass prairie which trees, but here is a place where within
once covered much of the midwest.As the generous bounds one can look across a
awareness of what I had discovered wide meadow and see no evidence of
slowly grew on me, I picked up dried human activity.
stalks of several kinds of wildflowers HOW LUCKY we are that this area has
which by their unique form and fragrance been saved thus far by its fortunate
I could recognize as also belonging to the topography too wet to plow, to small to
prairie. drain or fill.Here is a natural community
By this time, you could have touched almost totally different from what we
me and I would have fallen over. Filled have at the forested nature center, where
with an incredulous sense of wonder, I any prairie which was present has been
dropped to my knees and touched the plowed,grazed or planted with trees. We
dense mat of grasses, warm in the af- have begun to use it as an annex for
ternoon sun. Perhaps it was an un- teaching classes and hope to do so more
conscious gesture of reverence.I was in a extensively next year.
place where, as far as I could look, the I invite you to join me Saturday,July 14,
land was as it had been for hundreds of in exploring this beautiful place. We will
years. There was very possibly no other meet at the nature center building at 9:30
remnant as pure as this for miles around. a.m. Children under age 11 should be
I was in a holy place. The fact that it was accompanied by a parent, unless they
on city land and had ba better chance than were members of the special class that
otherwise of being protected filled me studied the prairie this spring. Par-
with a great sense of joy and elation. ticipation will be limited to 15. For
Every time I have returned to this registration and further information,call
prairie, I have found some new cause for 738-9383.
amazement.By early June,there were 15
kinds of native flowers in bloom. These
were different from ones I had seen along
roads or in pastures or vacant lots. Some,
indeed,were quite rare.At present, there
are again 15 kinds of blossoms, almost all
different from what was there a month
ago. So far, six kinds of grasses and 70
kinds of wildflowers have been identified,
many of these due to flower later.
WITH THIS great and ever-changing
variety. prairies surpass in beauty our
more common meadows of hay grasses
and flowers which came from Europe.
There is usually at a given time some
perfect combination of maroon and gold
flowers. Right now, the ingredients are