Join park staff and volunteers, from 10 -11 a.m., July 26, for an opening ceremony and hike through Mnoké Prairie.

During the ceremony Park Superintendent Dale Engquist will recognize the school groups, volunteers, staff, and park partners who began the transformation of Mnoké Prairie from an abandoned farm field into a tallgrass prairie.

On the hike participants will walk through the newly established prairie and continue along the Little Calumet River trail to the Little Calumet River bridge.

In the last few years park staff and school groups removed non-native plants from Mnoké Prairie and planted typical prairie plants that were started by seed in the park’s greenhouses.

To help restore the prairie, the park performed controlled burns that replicated fires that naturally spread across the prairies in the pre-settlement era.

As the park continues to burn and plant native prairie plants, visitors will see the prairie evolve into a functioning tallgrass prairie complete with native prairie bird species, and spectacular displays of compass plant, indigo, blazing stars and six foot tall big bluestem grasses.

The opening ceremony and hike through Mnoké Prairie will begin at the parking lot located approximately one mile south of the intersection of Howe and Oak Hill Roads.

For additional information call 926-7561 ext. 225.

Posted 7/21/2003