THE PRAIRIE RESTORATION PROJECTThe Palouse prairie was once a “wild landscape of rolling hills carpeted by a vast medley of native flora.” Today, less than 1% of the original Palouse prairie remains. The rest has been eliminated by development. Eastern Washington University, located in Cheney, WA, is dedicating 120 acres, a third of its campus land, to restore this endangered eco-system. University students and faculty, along with local tribes, will re-establish healthy soil, plant 120 varieties of native seeds and monitor progress. As the native flowers return, bees and other insects will return. Birds, reptiles and mammals will follow. The university says the project will “provide a unique educational and recreational space, one that connects visitors to a long-lost landscape. It will also advance research and learning opportunities, creating a model for boosting regional biodiversity.” Spokane Master Gardener Foundation
Prairie is so over abused.
As this says, trees are where they never used to be.
This would be my backyard. It blows my mind to imagine this area when it was a couple million acres of flowering forbs.
https://frishmanphoto.wordpress.com/2024/07/01/palouse-prairie-fireworks/
And what do you know, this topic’s in High Country News. We’ve personally been in contact with the Phoenix Conservancy to talk about some of their pocket prairie work happening in our yard.
https://www.hcn.org/issues/56-11/your-lawn-could-host-an-endangered-ecosystem/