Prairie Preserve

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At that meeting, Phil explained that an endangered plant species known as Mead’s Milkweed (Asclepias meadii) had been discovered on our property some years earlier. He walked with us to the southern edge of our land, pointing out wildflowers and grasses along the way, most now rare in Missouri.

Finally he said, “What you have here is a true native prairie remnant. Only a fraction of a percent still exists. You own a small piece of America’s biological history.”

In that moment, we felt our future change. Phil’s simple statement turned us from landowners into stewards, though we had no idea at the time what that would entail. We didn’t locate any Mead’s Milkweed that day, but we did learn the definition of a “true native prairie remnant.” 

Pure prairie

For thousands of years, our prairie maintained a delicate ecological balance. Plants, animals, insects and even microorganisms in the soil evolved through a complex process of compatibility and competition.

Plowing and tilling that came with settlement of this country’s vast plains forever altered the midwestern landscape. Prairie remnants that were spared the plow and till are usually found on land too rocky, too wet or too sandy for farming. Our prairie sits on limestone bedrock, and so falls into the category of being too rocky to plow.

Phil put us in touch with the department’s regional biologist, Larry Rizzo. After some research, Larry informed us that our prairie remnant had been documented in Missouri Department of Conservation’s Natural History Database, as South Fork Prairie. Due to the high level of plant diversity found there, the database noted that South Fork “is an area of statewide significance.” 

Managing for native plants

Larry explained that despite escaping the plow and till, invasive species were threatening the prairie and would eventually choke out native plants if they were not brought under control.

He helped us secure a grant through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Partners For Wildlife program, which enabled us to embark on an aggressive restoration plan. We hired a contractor who used a tree shear (a large, scissor-like attachment that connects to a Bobcat) to remove stands of cedars, hedge and locusts.

In pre-settlement times, fire and grazing animals – deer, elk and buffalo – kept invasive plants in check. But, since buffalo no longer roam and fire cannot be allowed to burn out of control, we’re forced to use other methods to keep the prairie ecosystem in balance. 

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