The Andresen Nature Center started in 2016 converting the south section of the property from a residential lawn into a native prairie garden. We have incorporated a selection of native prairie plants. We always see a variety of animals and pollinators in the prairie and usually every spring twin fawns.
The prairies of North America were once vast grasslands that covered 200 million acres, a complex ecosystem supporting a large amount of wildlife. Today, less than one percent of that native habitat is left. In restoring the prairie, we are restoring our heritage and supporting an impressive and complicated habitat, that supports wildlife and is attractive to the eye. Prairie restoration enhances the environment. It increases the abundance of native plants, increase ecological diversity, and therefore creates habitats for native animals and insects. Prairies absorb a lot of rain, reducing erosion and runoff.
We performed a prescribed burn periodically on segments of the reconstructed Prairie. Went through all of the bureaucratic hurdles to get it done, including obtaining a burn permit from the Illinois EPA, notifying the city, fire department, and immediate neighbors. Prescribed burns are periodically done on prairies to suppress weeds and refresh the native plants, which actually thrive on an occasional burn. The brown ribbon through the burn area is the pathway that runs through the Prairie.