[Magdalen] The Prairie in Winter

[cady soukup]

Thank you Jim,

What I remember of the Illinois "prairie" (from attending U. Illinois
in Champaign-Urbana a few dozen years ago) are the vast and changing
patterns of the sky, and the densely diverse hedgerows and creek beds.
All of which are difficult to show in photos.

What I have learned since then are the deep and complex root networks
that are not visible to a casual observer, and how they both stabilize
the soil and allow plants to communicate with each other (and with
soil flora & fauna) in ways we are only beginning to appreciate.
Amazing plant communities!

Evocative photos.

Cady
whose parents (who met in chemistry graduate school at U.Ill.) called
it the "University of Illinois in Shampoo-Ipana ... a bad habit that I
have perpetuated

On 12/27/18, cantor03--- via Magdalen <magdalen at herberthouse.org> wrote:
> This is probably part of the so-called "Prairie Wedge," which is a belt of
> grassland
> that cuts through parts of Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin.  This
> was theway it was before European arrived, but it was actually an artificial
> situation
> maintained by American Indians (fire) in order to encourage wildlife that
> they preferred.
> The non-human natural condition of the Prairie Wedge would be deciduous
> forest.
> The "restoration" of prairie has been big stuff in Southern Wisconsin,
> especiallyaround Madison, for years.  There has been trouble when someone in
> a blockof manicured lawns decides to do the prairie restoration thing.  Most
> urbanitesdo not care for prairie.
>
> The UW-Madison Arboretum has done a lot of work on this subject.
>
>
> David Strang.
>
>
>
>
>
> In a message dated 12/27/2018 9:15:02 AM Eastern Standard Time,
> jhandsfield at att.net writes:
>
> Matthew and I have been in Mahomet, Illinois for Christmas. The county has a
> project of restoring and maintaining tall grass prairie in its natural
> form.
>
>