Spring is in the air! We are blessed to have so much native habitat nearby to enjoy. We want to encourage you to go see a prairie, oak savanna, or local park to look for signs of spring. The seasonal weather we are having is just what we need to bring life out on the prairie. This will help us find that welcome feeling of hope and health! As you can see in these photos, this is a special time to be out in nature.
If you are wondering about where to go, check out the Sites page on our website (www.theprairieenthusiasts.org/sites) for detailed descriptions and directions to our properties. A few pages are still under construction, but we are working to have them all up soon. Even if you can’t go out, this is an easy way to learn about the TPE’s many preserves, most of which are fully open to the public.
We hope you can inspire your family and friends to come along. Take a walk together, relax for a while and renew yourself in nature. Please practice required social distancing and wearing a mask when others are around. On many of our sites you may be the only ones there.
Also remember that all of our preserves harbor rare plant, insect, bird, mammal, reptile and amphibian species, so please be careful as you hike around. Because of the potential for disturbance, dogs are not allowed on most of our sites.
The Prairie Enthusiasts, mainly through our member volunteers, steward and own 35 preserves totaling nearly 2,500 acres. We also care for thousands of acres of private lands for which we hold conservation easements, as well as a number of public parks and natural areas. All this Grassroots Conservation in Action is out there waiting for you to see.
Use your senses to take in the sights, sounds and smells of life springing up. Grassland birds and many others are coming back. The native bees are coming out to look for spring ephemerals. Frogs are singing, and the earth is fragrant with new growth. Many wonders of nature are out there for you to behold!
Have a great time, enjoy the prairie. Be safe, stay well. Spring is here again!