List of Prairie Demonstration Gardens

We have a really big yard and I'm always so tempted to use it for BIG school projects. The last time we were studying Botany, in Spring 2021, I was really excited about converting part of the yard into tallgrass prairie. I even created a whole tallgrass prairie page on my website. Now I'm thinking about doing a floral clock garden or large sundial project. It's so hard to decide!

A Backyard Prairie: The Hidden Beauty of Tallgrass and Wildflowers
by Fred Delcomyn and James L. Ellis

Sundials: Their Theory and Construction
by Albert Waugh

While I'm pondering all of this, I want to make a list of prairie demonstration gardens in our area. I keep finding them all over the place!

Illinois Natural History Survey: Tallgrass Prairie
https://publish.illinois.edu/tallgrass-prairie/where-to-see-prairies/

And a wonderful vintage resource:
Erigenia: Journal of the Southern Illinois Native Plant Society, issue no 4, August 1984 (PDF)
"The Meaning, Experience, and Dimensions of Prairie," pp.5-14 and
"The Prairies of Southern Illinois," pp.15-30, both by Dr. John Voigt

Today Zac and a friend and I went to check out the brand new visitor center for Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge, and when we walked the nearby trail there was the biggest planting of prairie grasses I've seen so far! It was so unexpected and we wandered around in it for quite a while. The trail also took us down to the lake, of course, which the boys loved.

If there are so many demonstration gardens around, maybe I don't need to plant one and I can focus on building a sundial in the field. This would work out really well as the older group is studying calendars & clocks in October.

Nearby Bits of Prairie

Carbondale IL
- Chautauqua Bottoms Nature Preserve
- Flaglands Demonstration Prairie
- Oakland Nature Preserve


Carterville IL
- Harrison-Bruce Historical Village


DeSoto IL
- Faulkner-Franke Pioneer Railroad Prairie


Makanda IL
- Little Grassy Fish Hatchery


Marion IL
- Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge


Murphysboro IL
- General John A. Logan Museum


Benton MO
- Sand Prairie Conservation Area

We also visited Bison Bluff Farm in Cobden IL during the Fall Farm Crawl, which is a wonderful experience if you're trying to envision the prairie.

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