In 2020, Decorah Parks and Recreation has cancelled a series of presentations about Prairies in general and specifically about the Decorah Community Prairie. ... We hope to reinstate the program in 2021.

Explorers and pioneers described their first views of the prairies of the middle United States, before they became states--using words such as "abundant," "luxurious," "magnificent," "gorgeous masses of variant beauty," and birds singing "their songs of jubilee." They reported seeing fox, wolves, reptiles, and badgers roaming free. If we investigate the plants and animals of the prairie, we might reveal the connections between the creatures and this amazing habitat.

When the Decorah Community Prairie was planted in 2002, initially to protect the water quality of the Upper Iowa River, an additional $15,000 was donated to the City of Decorah to establish a butterfly garden. The butterfly garden was created to introduce visitors to the native plants of the prairie, to provide a place of enjoyment, and to help preserve our native butterflies and other pollinators who through the ages have required specific native plants. This prairie garden provides a quiet wildness within the center of the city. Its paved walkway and benches offer access for the elderly, disabled, and small children.

Decorah Community Prairie Butterfly Garden Brochure for 2018 (printable pdf)

Please note: Volunteers will now work on Tuesday mornings from 9-11am (May to October) to maintain the Butterfly Garden.