On May 18th I will embark on the greatest environmental adventure that this school has ever been involved with. The environmental adventure that I speak of ranks higher than the planting of 500 trees of just a year ago. It is to take a portion of the acerage that the school district owns and to return it back to it's original (circa 1800's) state. That original state is tall grass prairie.
Every student will participate in planting 35-40 native species of prairie grasses and flowers. The total area of the planting is just one acre short of one hectar (2.5 acres). In cooperation with the UNI Prairie Center, students will plant two prairie plugs and broadcast seed throughout the designated site. Once all of the seed has been cast, a calldipacker will drive the seed into the ground. The grass will begin growing within the next couple of weeks. We must mowe it over this year and let it grow next year. After the fifth year, we must burn it. After this burn the praire will explode into a beautiful resurected lanscape that has been missing from this spot for over 150 years.
I recieved form the State a collection of seed worth thousands of dollars and we will establish a school prairie that is larger than any in our town. The education benefits to this endevor will be priceless. I hope that every student gets something planted inside themselves as well.
4 comments:
Wow. You are not only an E.E. visionary, but also quite amazing at securing grants.
Well done! Again.
Well done indeed. That's phenomenal.
That 1491 book I read talked a bit about the 'native' prairie amd how it was likely entirely manipulated by the natives including regular burnings of pretty much the entire midwest. The growth that emerges from the burn is far more nutritious to the animals they depended on for food.
Not to throw water on things, but wasn't most of Iowa forest rather than prairie?
Actually the state was mostly ALL prairie. However, along rivers and stream there were nice stands of hardwoods. Northeast Iowa had it's share of forested areas as well. Especially in the bluff country and high hills.
Western Iowa was gradually changing into short grass prairie as it approached Nebraska. The deep black and rich topsoil is provided to use because of the vast root systems of the tall grass prairie. Iowa has the richest soil in the world.
The short answer is no.
I am sure that you are refering to a map that you might have seen once. There were more trees in Iowa in 1830 than we have in Iowa today. I also ment to say us instead of use.
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