For more information, contact:
mmiller@peoriaparks.org

Introduction
Illinois is known as the Prairie State. Two thirds of the state was once covered by prairie. Prairie is the name we use for the expansive North American grassland habitat. The term was originally used by French explorers; translated it means park-like meadow. Anyone who has seen an Illinois tallgrass prairie knows that there is nothing park-like about the wild, diverse sea of grass and flowers.

This rich habitat formed about 8,000 years ago as a result of the climate and geology of this area we now call Illinois. Glaciers covered most of Illinois at some point in the past 100,000 years. As the glaciers advanced and retreated, the flat-to-rolling landscape of the Midwest was formed. The last glacier came as far south and west as Peoria and Tazewell counties. As that glacier melted, some of the land was flooded and then filled in with a material called drift. This deposit of clay, sand, gravel and boulders provided a rich base material for the prairies that were to come.

The climate changed drastically throughout the glacial periods and eventually developed into the pattern we have today. As the temperatures increased after the last glacier retreated, the plant communities changed and evolved. As conditions continued to become warmer and drier, the climate began to support the pioneering community known as “grassland” across a large section of the central United States. During the Hypsothermal Period about 8,000 years ago, the grassland stretched all the way to the Atlantic Ocean. As the climate continued to change, the eastern United States became wetter and cooler and eventually had enough precipitation to support deciduous forests. A drier deciduous forest, dominated by oaks and hickories, formed along waterways in Illinois. The uplands were too dry to support many trees, so grasslands dominated those areas.

Since that time, 60% of the state has had ideal environmental conditions to support the tallgrass prairies. These conditions include unevenly distributed rainfall (30–35 inches annually), dry winters, regularly occurring droughts, strong winds and both natural and manmade fires. All of these factors combine to create the perfect conditions for a grassland community made up of several dominant grasses that grow so tall that a person on horseback can barely be seen over the top. Over 850 different plant species can be found in a tallgrass prairie habitat. One amazing characteristic of the tallgrass prairie is the fact that from April to October it is constantly in bloom, with different plants climaxing every few weeks. Several plant families, including grasses, composites and legumes, dominate the prairie.

This diverse flora provides a rich foundation for a variety of animal life. Many years ago large mammals, including bison, elk, wolves and bears, roamed the prairie. Today’s remaining prairie patches continue to support a vast array of animals. Many of these prairie animals live part of their lives underground. Creatures that vary from insects to worms to mammals, such as ground squirrels and pocket gophers, use the extremely rich soil complex that is created by the extensive roots of the prairie plants. Many birds, reptiles and amphibians also call the prairie home.

Today very little original tallgrass prairie remains; less than 0.01% remains in Illinois. The Nature Conservancy lists the tallgrass prairie as one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world. This uniquely diverse habitat is extremely valuable for a variety of reasons. It is not only beautiful but it is also a sanctuary for countless animal and plant species. It is an essential creator and stabilizer of the rich, dark soil for which the Midwest is famous. Finally, the prairie serves as a living classroom, teaching us about the wonderful interrelationships of life. If allowed, it has the ability to teach us much about our history and our future. This is the driving force behind the Prairie School Project.

The Vision
Prairie School Mission
The goal of the Prairie School Project is to encourage environmental stewardship and ecological restoration of the Illinois tallgrass prairie by instilling in educators and students a sense of the uniqueness and local bio-diversity of native prairie habitats. The project will educate students in levels K–5 about the concept of environmental stewardship and the process of ecological restoration, and it will enable students to develop a sense of connection to the local landscape by doing hands-on activities that relate to historical ecological processes in Central Illinois. Inspiration

The idea for the Project developed from “Prairie School,” a program originated by local volunteer and steward, Suzie Barber. Her work with schools to plant prairies in their schoolyards developed into a desire to expand the program with activities to aid in the utilization of those planted prairies, which is the essence of the Prairie School Project.

Sense of Place
An important aspect of the Prairie School Project that makes it truly unique is the effort to foster a sense of place within the students. Very few students understand that their schoolyard used to be prairie. By using historical plats of townships, the project endeavors to help students truly understand the history of their area.

Who?
The Prairie School Project curriculum is designed for students in grades K–5. However, many activities are adaptable and could be utilized by older students.

What?
The project is a comprehensive curriculum intended to be integrated into a school’s current learning standards. It addresses three major levels:

• Classes that currently have a prairie planted in their schoolyard
• Classes that desire to plant a prairie in their schoolyard
• Classes that want to learn about the prairie but don’t have one and can’t plant one

The curriculum contains activities for use in the prairie, two CDs with additional resources, a guide to choosing an appropriate site and planting a prairie and suggestions on how to maintain a prairie that has already been planted.

Where?
The original scope of the project was the Tri-County area near Peoria, Ill., which includes Peoria, Tazewell and Woodford counties. The Prairie School project is now being used statewide. Prairie School workshops can be scheduled by contacting Dean Johnston at 309-686-3360.

Contributors
Prairie School Project is funded by a grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources' Conservation 2000 program with matching funds from the Peoria Park District. The grant was secured by Mike Miller, Chief Naturalist at Forest Park. Many volunteers have donated their time, energy, knowledge and photographs to make this project a success.

Staff:

• Kristin A. Jacobson, Original Project Coordinator
• Anne L. Comiskey, Research Specialist
• Mike Ingram, Restoration Specialist
• Dean G. Johnston, Educational Coordinator
• Christina Kiefer, Prairie Research Specialist
• Cathy Koczaja, Resource Guide Development
• R. Mike Miller, Chief Naturalist
• John Mullen, Assistant Chief Naturalist
• Suzie Barber, Prairie Planting Expertise
• Tracy Fox, Project Design/CD Development
• Sherry L. Powley, Editing

• Julie Baldwin
• Jackie Clary
• Becky Cowser
• Mark Dubois
• Helen Gasdorf
• Emily Harris
• Barb and Ken Jones
• Channy Lyons
• Ree Petersen

Staff and volunteers for the project can be reached via:

Forest Park Nature Center
5809 Forest Park Drive
Peoria Heights, IL 61616
Phone: 309-686-3360
Fax: 309-686-8820
E-mail: mmiller@peoriaparks.org

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