March 2006 OutdoorIllinois / 23

expansions yet close enough for stu-dents to use it as an outdoor classroom.Additionally, and to avoid the threat ofthe prairie going under the mower,include school administrators, custodi-ans, groundskeepers and gym teachersin the planning process.

Illinois is the perfect place to cre-ate a prairie planting. In 1820,approximately two-thirds of thestate was covered in prairies,which formed due to ideal cli-

matic conditions such as abundant butuneven rainfall, dry winters, strongwinds, regular droughts and naturalfires. Today, less than 0.01 percent ofIllinois’ original tall-grass prairie remains.

The Forest Park Nature Center inPeoria has created a Prairie Schoolcurriculum to help teachers and stu-dents create small prairie gardens onschool grounds, a process that caneasily be replicated by a homeownerinterested in converting a portion oftheir property to prairie.Factors for choosing a site for a prairie

planting include siting it away from trees,wooden structures and underground andoverhead utility lines so it can be burnedregularly to deter weeds and stimulateprairie plant growth.For a schoolyard prairie, select an

area out of the way of future building

A school-based landscaping project demonstrates how easy it canbe for schools and homeowners to landscape with prairie plants.

Story By Kristin JacobsonPhotos By Forest ParkNature Center

In the Peoria area, an appreciation

for the Prairie State starts with

hands-on programs involving

elementary school students.

Prairies at School

24 / OutdoorIllinois March 2006

Seed collection usually takes place inmid to late October in central Illinois andcan be done at any established prairienear your site—but only if permissionfrom the landowner is obtained first. Italso is beneficial to have a personaccompany you who can identify prairieplants once they have gone to seed.Venture into the prairie with paper

bags, markers and plant identificationtools showing pictures of the plants inbloom. Collect the seed heads from agiven plant—only dry, ripe seeds lackingany green parts—and put them into abag labeled with that plant’s name.For a typical 20-foot-square prairie,

about four to five heads from 15 differ-ent species are plenty. Each plant is putin its own, labeled bag and stored in arubber tote or metal garbage can in acool, dry place.In mid-December, seeds are put

through a process called seed stratifica-

tion—simulating a cold Illinois winterthen warming spring. Most prairie seedswill never germinate if they are notexposed to extended cold followed by awarm, moist period. For seeds like rat-tlesnake master, remove the seedheads from the paper bag and gentlypress down on the seed heads usingwooden blocks or spoons, using justenough pressure to separate the seedswithout destroying them.Seeds from plants that go through an

animal’s digestive tract will not germi-nate without being scarified or roughedup. To do this, use blocks covered withsand paper and lightly rub them across

the surface of the seeds, a process thatallows water to penetrate the thick seedcoat and make germination more likely.Pour seeds into sandwich-sized plas-

tic bags, add an equal amount of sandand just enough water to make it theconsistency of a sand castle. Label eachbag with the species of the plant, placeit in a plastic shoebox and refrigerate for60 days. The only maintenance neces-sary for this period is to open each bagweekly and gently move the contents toprevent mold build-up. Two months afterthe seeds have been stratified they canbe prepared for planting.Seeds need three things to germi-

nate—light, water and warmth—and aninexpensive mini-greenhouse can repli-cate these conditions in a classroom orhome. Punch several small holes in thebottom of a clamshell (deli-style clearsandwich container) then fill with abouttwo-thirds seed-starting mix (without fer-

With careful tending, seeds

gathered in the fall sprout, then

mature on a grow table until

the warming days and spring rains

create ideal planting conditions.

Once plants have set their seeds

in the fall, students gather to learn

plant identification and proper

collection techniques.

March 2006 OutdoorIllinois / 25

tilizer) and gently sprinkle the bag ofseed and sand evenly along the top ofthe surface. Place an absorbent fabricon the grow table (a sweatshirt workswell). Label the side of the clamshelland place it into a flat on a grow table.Gently set the clamshell lid on top tohold heat and moisture in. Water fromthe bottom so there is no standing andprevent the small seeds from being car-ried too deep into the soil. Check thewater level on the absorbent fabricevery two to three days, allowing it todry out some but never completely.At this point, young and old alike

enjoy watching the grow table to see thefirst seedlings pop through the soil. Bymid-March trays should be full of greensprouts and ready for transplanting intoindividual 5-ounce plastic cups. Preparecups by labeling each one and filling it tothe top with the seed-starting soil. Sticka finger into the middle and make a hole

for the roots to be placed into. Gentlyremove seedlings from the clamshell byholding the plant near its base and usinga fork to loosen the soil from the bottom.Place one seedling into the hole thengently press the soil around the plant toassure it is firmly in place. Water the cupand return it to the grow table. All that isleft is to let the plants mature as muchas possible before they are transferredto the prairie plot.A 20-square-foot kidney-shaped site

provides visual interest. Several optionsexist to prepare the site: A power sodcutter causes the least disturbance tothe soil and requires the fewest steps;

tilling the area two or three times toremove weed seeds and then tamping itdown before planting; or, using a lowconcentration of Roundup when thegrass is green then digging holes intothe dead sod. (The chemical will havebroken down in three days).Seedlings will have developed ade-

quate root systems by the end of Maywhen spring rains should be frequent.Plant forb seedlings first then scattergrass seed.Planting day at a participating school

becomes a day of celebration with par-ents helping by digging rows of holes forstudents to place young seedlings in theground. Finally it is time for pictures,refreshments and recognition for a jobwell done.

Kristin Jacobson is the former PrairieSchool Project coordinator at ForestPark Nature Center in Peoria. For moreinformation, contact the Forest ParkNature Center at (309) 686-3360 ormmiller@peoriaparks.org.

The Prairie State?

What does 0.01 percent look like? Ifyour body represents the state of

Illinois, everything from your knees upwould have been prairie 200 years ago.The area of your little fingernail representsthe current amount of prairie in Illinois.

Prairie School is a comprehensiveK-5 curriculum focused on the

tallgrass prairie habitat native to Illinois.It includes more than 60 activitiesincluding topics from prairie planting toanimals, plants, food webs, history,physical factors and literature. This isdelivered in a one or two day workshopin sites throughout the state. For moreinformation contact Forest Park NatureCenter at (309) 686-3360.

Adults provide gentle coaching as a

team of students systematically plant

their prairie seedlings, while other

teams patiently wait their turn.

After much anticipation, a

kaleidoscope of color erupts on

the prairie—a show that is

repeated year after year.