Little Town on the Prairie
by Karin Daly, Co-Founder GGGE
As I was scrolling this week searching for some positive content, I came across a recent CBS evening news story about the work to restore the Nachusa Grasslands,Tallgrass Prairie about 80 miles due west of Glen Ellyn, near Dixon. They had me at baby bison.
Illinois is nicknamed “The Prairie State” and we are lucky to have "Prairie Path” travel through our village. Even my endodontist practice has 'prairie' in its name! But it seems that our beloved prairie lands are also great for farming and building houses and roads and airports and….well you get it. Our prairies have been shrinking since the 1800s. So it’s exciting that we are seeing many organizations in the Illinois working to build and grow this part of our local ecosystem and heritage.
Have a few minutes? Let’s learn a little more this week about the prairies in our own backyard and why it is important that we preserve them!
Rediscovering Our Prairie Roots
Today, Illinois might be known more for Chicago and being the land of Lincoln, but here in DuPage – before we were DuPage – you would find yourself amidst some old growth forests, wetlands, ravines and a whole lotta tallgrass prairie, the land of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation.
Let’s talk roots. I have planted some prairie grasses in my yard, and let me tell you the roots are DEEP! So yes, our area’s roots are in the prairie, and the prairie has some major deep roots – enough to withstand all sorts of weather, droughts, fires, and bison! The only thing it could not withstand was us.
in the early 1800s, 22 million acres of prairie existed in Illinois. Fast-forward to today and less than 1% of Illinois’ original prairie still survives. That makes the prairie patches that are left, and the ones we’re bringing back, all the more precious.
Why should we care? Preserving and restoring prairie is critical: Prairies store carbon, filter and soak up rainfall, support pollinators, resist erosion (those roots!), and house a ton of native biodiversity (sedges, grasses, flowers, birds, insects, mammals, etc.). Oh, and bison!
Check out this page from the Illinois Dept of Natural Resources to learn even more about our prairies in Illinois. And if you want to dig deeper, here is a informative article from UIUC about how experts are restoring our Illinois prairies.
Visit a real prairie (and herds of bison) near you!
DuPage County prairie preservationists are working hard right in our backyard. There are pockets of prairies around if you look! Here are a few prairies to visit in the area:
Churchill Woods (DuPage Forest Preserve, Glen Ellyn) It’s a small prairie, but it's right in our backyard. It is the second largest native prairie in DuPage County and is home to several state endangered and threatened species
Schulenberg Prairie at the Morton Arboretum (Lisle) — one of the first big prairie restorations in the country. It’s a great photo spot too! Head to the west side of the arb.
Russell R. Kirt Prairie (College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn) — in our very own hometown, this prairie has wildflowers, wetlands, and even a little oak savanna. Check out their events page for fun and free things to do at the prairie, including helping to collect seeds this fall.
Springbrook Prairie (DuPage Forest Preserve, Naperville) — 1,800 acres of prairie, meadows, and wetlands. Reviews say this spot is great for birdwatching.
West Chicago Prairie (DuPage Forest Preserve, West Chicago)— a hidden gem and the largest native prairie in DuPage (I hadn’t heard of it until doing research for this list!) It has more than 600 native species over 358 acres. This preserve is all about the prairie with no other recreation allowed, so discover this “rare IL ecosystem” with no need to dodge an ebike!
Waterfall Glen (DuPage Forest Preserve, Darien) — yes, it’s known for the trails, but its prairie areas are worth checking out. This is one of the most popular stops on the Forest Preserve tour and it has a lot of varied ecosystems, plus yes, a waterfall!
Dixon Prairie at the Chicago Botanical Garden (Glencoe). They recreate 6 different prairie types that used to exist in Illinois. Bonus – if you are an Arboretum member, you can visit for free.
And there are some other significant prairies that are further afield AND, wait, there are BISON! Prairies and bison used to go hand in hand. Prior to the 1800s there were estimated to be 30-60 million bison in the Great Plains. By 1900 there were only about 1000 left. The collective herd is now about 500k in the US, and lucky us, we have a few prairies in the area that are proud to host herds of these beautiful native mammals:
Fermilab Tallgrass Prairie (Batavia) Fermilab has two remnant original tallgrass prairie and are restoring over 1000 acres of prairie on their campus. Plus they have bison! Fermilab is open to the public, but be aware that you need a RealID to visit. Learn more here.
Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie (US Forest Service near Joliet) This was the first national tallgrass preserve in the US! It has 33 miles of hiking trails, plus you might be able to catch a glimpse of their bison herd.
Nachusa Grasslands (The Nature Conservancy near Dixon).This was in the news story that started me down this prairie rabbit hole! There are 4,000 acres of restored and remnant prairie with 180 species of birds, 700+ native plant species and herd of bison. If you can’t visit or need a zen moment, check out the photos of this amazing place at the link above.
Fall is a great time to visit a prairie. The weather is not as hot, flowers are still blooming and the grasses are spectacular. Plus, did we mention bison? What are you waiting for?
