Frontier Park Prairie Restoration

Frontier Park Prairie Restoration. . , Illinois , The Prairie State , Illinois was once part of the vast grasslands known as the "tallgrass prairie" where vegetation often reached a height of ten feet. Native Americans were the first people to use the resources held within the prairie habitat. Plants provided food, shelter, medicine, and created grazing fields for buffalo, deer, and other prized game that they hunted. , , When Europeans settlers arrived in Illinois in the 1830s they were met with a landscape they did not know or understand: an endless sea of grass higher than a person's head, full of unknown insects and animals. However, it did not take them long to discover the fertile soil within the prairie and begin converting the tall grass ecosystem to farmland. , , With the gradual elimination of prairie land we have come to recognize the important role prairie vegetation plays in the hydrology of this region. Over 850 plant species evolved within this environment during the course of thousands of years. One vital adaptation was the development of deep roots. This helped plants survive periodic fires and animal grazing while aiding in finding sources of water in times of drought. The deep roots of these native plants help us today by: , , . reducing erosion by holding soil in place , . absorbing storm water to reduce flooding , . filtering out pollutants that would otherwise enter our waterways , , Prior to European settlement, there were 22 million acres of prairie in Illinois. Now, fewer than 20,000 acres of the original Illinois prairie remain. Restoration plantings such as this one at Frontier Park are an important step in preserving the prairie habitat that once dominated the Illinois landscape. , , Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardi) , . A dominant plant of the tallgrass prairie , , Prairie Dock (Silphium terebinthinaceum) , . This plant's big leaves are close to the ground and feel like sandpaper , , New England Aster (Aster novae-angliae) , . Butterflies enjoy these flowers that bloom September-October , , Culver's Root (Veronicastrum virginicum) , . Native Americans and European settlers used roots as medicine , , Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) , . Butterflies and hummingbirds feast on these pretty, purple flowers , , Yellow Coneflower (Ratibida pinnata) , . Butterflies and hummingbirds feast on these pretty, purple flowers , , This project was funded in part by an Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development Grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources