A Backyard Prairie: The Hidden Beauty of Tallgrass and Wildflowers

Abstract

In 2001, Fred and Nancy Delcomyn purchased a five-acre plot of land in central Illinois. With the help of Jamie Ellis, botanist at University of Illinois Prairie Research Institute, and the Grand Prairie friends, a local conservation group, Fred and Nancy now have a thriving two-and-a-half-acre grassland prairie. The Delcomyns wanted to convert the farmland back to its original state because “today, although Illinois still claims as its nickname the Prairie State, less than 0.01 percent of the original tallgrass prairie that once blanketed the state remains, tiny remnants almost lost amid agricultural fields, towns, and cities” (p. xiii).The book's chapters lead the reader through the history, development, maintenance, and finally to the diversity of life present in a prairie. The first chapter, entitled “Glimpses of the Past, Reality of the Present,” explains how the grass prairies developed through the passing of glaciers, climate influences, and fire both nature and human created. The authors then discuss the transformation of farmland to prairie in Chapter 2, “Farmland to Prairie”; this chapter also covers some of the challenges of trying to source native seeds and persistent weeds, such as ragweed and Canada thistle. Chapter 3, entitled “Fire,” describes how a prescribed burn works and the effect fire has on regenerating native plant life. (If readers want additional information on fire's ecological importance and the consequences of its suppression, and how it has shaped the history and culture of the American grassland, they should certainly consult Julie Courtwright's Prairie Fire: A Great Plains History [2011].) This chapter has excellent photos, which make the reader experience the power and force of fire. Whereas the first three chapters took the reader through the development of the prairie, the last four chapters explore the benefits of having a backyard prairie and the diverse wildlife the prairie supports. Chapter 4, “A Rainbow Landscape,” displays and describes the periodicity of flowers and the variety of prairie grasses present. In Chapter 5, “Insects,” the authors describe through both text and photos the numerous types of butterflies and seasonal variety of insects, such as the praying mantis, spiders, bees, and dragonflies. Larger fauna is covered in Chapter 6, “Feathers and Fur.” Bison, elk, prairie chickens, and grouse have long disappeared from the Illinois prairie, but the authors are still able to espy deer, raccoon, skunk, rabbit, coyote, song sparrow, red wing blackbird, cooper hawks, and red-tail hawks. Seasonal changes are covered in Chapter 7, “Seasons.” The authors point out interesting aspects of each season, not just the variety of colors of summer, spring, and fall, but also the contrast and shades of winter. The last chapter, “Open Sky,” explores the beauty and awe-inspiring, wide-open views of the sky. The photos of sunsets, storms, lightning, fog, and cloud formations are amazing.Fundamentally, the author's stated goal was “to show the beauty found in a small prairie. We meet this purpose through photographs and text” (p. 2). The authors far exceeded this goal. The photos are detailed, descriptive, and capture the diverse ecosystem that is the prairie. This is a quick read but provides an abundance of information and insights into the development and maintenance of a small prairie. An extensive “Further Reading” section is also provided to help the reader with locating prairies to visit or how to start building a prairie of one's own. After reading this book, I am inspired to build my own little backyard prairie or at least go visit some of the flourishing prairie lands situated throughout our prairie state to appreciate all they have to offer in any season of the year.