RECONCILIATION STORY

We are living in exciting times here on the prairie!  People have come to the realization that not only do we want the prairie to be a part of our lives, but we need the prairie.  All accross the Great Plains there are efforts under way to restore native prairie.  Whether it be a small garden, students planting prairie at their school, the park and recreation department using more native plants, a golf course incorporating native prairie or a large reserve or national grassland; there is an undeniable movement toward reviving this endangered and misunderstood ecosystem.
 
 

Here at the University of North Dakota, where I am a student, we are in the midst of a prairie restoration project called the Soaring Eagle Prairie.  This prairie garden, in the heart of campus, has morphed into an amazing being that is only limited by our imaginations.  Its educational possibilities are only beginning to be explored and it has been well recieved by those on and off campus.  Several community groups in Grand Forks are excited to use this garden and its accompanying website to educate their neighbors on the benefits of prairie.  The timing could not be better as the community is in the midst of a large levee project along the Red River that will leave us with an enormous greenway.  Many of us in the community hope that the Soaring Eagle Prairie project will help native flowers and grasses find their way into the greenway.

We recently planted Echinacea in our Knowing Nature course at UND.  It has been one of the fastest growing of the plants.  We put the Echinacea, along with a variety of other prairie seeds in potting soil on January 22nd, 2002.  After a month, many of the plants, including Echinacea are ready to be transferred to a larger pot.  It is important to transplant the plant before it gets too big due to the fact that prairie plants have long root systems.  Dave's garden.com has many tips on planting as well as a supportive community to help you along.  And, of course, you can find more tips on prairie restoration and a wide array of resources on the Soaring Eagle Prairie homepage.
HAPPY PLANTING!
 
 

Jana Erickson

Jana Erickson

Jana Erickson

Jana Erickson

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