Natural Resources Department

Prairie improvements, restoration, and recreation efforts are ongoing. Within the past five years, over 160 acres that had previously been rowcropped or grazed have been converted to tallgrass prairie. The seed used in these restoration efforts is collected by volunteers and staff, donated from partner agencies, and purchased from retailers specializing in native plants. It can take upwards of five years to properly prepare for, plant, and nurse a young prairie into establishment.

Non-native bush honeysuckle shrubs have taken over many deciduous forest woodlands, resulting in restricted access for visitors, reduced plant diversity, and lower-value food and habitat for wildlife. We have made efforts to keep these plants from invading our highest quality forest sites, and have initiated efforts to clear sites that have been taken over by the species. Removing the bush honeysuckle lets more sunlight through to the forest floor, allowing native trees to regenerate and woodland wildflowers to prosper. Native trees, shrubs, and wildflowers are added through seeds and propagated plants in areas that have been highly degraded by persistent invasion.