The Prairie - a Link with the Past and a Bond with Nature
Although Illinois is often called the "Prairie State," few realize the true meaning of the native prairie as it existed in the early 1800's. The word "prairie" comes from the French word for extensive meadow. Perennial grasses, such as big bluestem and Indian grass, give the prairie its special character, but the numerous prairie wildflowers (called forbs) are also conspicuous from April through October. These real prairie plants, because of their nonagressive nature, are not adapted to survive the upheaval incurred by settlement.
The question which inevitably follows is: why preserve or reestablish the prairie? Once established, the prairie provides a self-maintaining ground cover while constantly improving the soil. The only measure necessary to insure survival of the long-lived grasses is supervised burning once every two years. Prairie plants, while often extremely delicate in appearance, have deep, well-developed root systems that can withstand the ravages of recurrent fires while the introduced Eurasian weeds, such as those presently inside the NAL Main Ring, could not.
Even if there were no practical application for restoring prairies, their aesthetic appeal - from the ashen tones seen after burning to the lush gold-brown fields silhouetted against an azure sky in autumn - would warrant preservation. Eventually with the restoration of a prairie and its associated plants, wildlife will be attracted to the tall grasses and seeds produced, providing a habitat for nesting birds as well as a resting place for migrating birds.
When one begins to comprehend its living interrelationships, the prairie becomes more than a place of lonely beauty and haunting vistas. It becomes a place to go for peace and solitude, a link with the past amidst encroaching urbanization.