Prairie Restoration The Friends of the Madison County Parks and Trails, under the leadership of Jack McDowell, former SWCD supervisor, cut back brush to allow the sunlight to penetrate the existing seedbank of native prairie. Prairie seeds respond better when the soil can be exposed to the warm sun. That's another reason why prairie fires help stimulate growth because the black ash absorbs more heat.
Prairie Grass Trail Madison County is fortunate to have volunteers who cut back brush last winter to open this section of the trail to sunlight. Those who hike or bike the Prairie Grass trail were treated to a fantastic display of colorful wildflowers. Hummingbirds were also attracted to the royal catchfly.
Bigelow Cemetery State Nature Preserve Prairie remnants remain as they were hundreds of years ago in pioneer cemeteries untouched by the plow.
Bigelow Cemetery There is a peaceful path through the wildflowers for those who wish to visit the state nature preserve, Bigelow Cemetery.
Smith Cemetery Smith Cemetery is another state nature preserve that shows beautiful natural history of Madison County.
Madison County Historical Society The best way to control weeds is by fire. Prairies are actively growing in summer months. Therefore, burn in early spring or late fall and only if the weather is not too dry or windy. A permit is needed to burn.
After the Burn The turf grass around the prairie is not touched by the fire. If you decide to put in your own prairie, plant a twenty foot firebreak of cool season turf grass around prairie to control the spread of fire.
Praying Mantis Prairies attract all kinds of neat insects. Prairie mantises, golden garden spiders and butterflies of every description visit the prairie to nectar or lay eggs on prairie plants. Field sparrows, meadowlarks, and bluebirds live in the prairie, as do meadow voles, cottontail rabbits and red foxes.
Prairie Education The Madison County Historical Society holds an annual pioneer day for elementary school children. Students learn about prairies by taking a tour through the planting. The prairie is a part of the original Ohio landscape; a part that every school child should experience.
Gwynne Conservation Area OSU planted acres of native grasses and wildflowers to show landowners what to expect and how to manage this resource properly. In the distance is the Natural Resources Interpretive Center, available to schools and civic organizations for educational purposes.
Little Bluestem and Bur Oak This a leftover remnant prairie that was maintained by a private landowner until he passed away. Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks purchased it, just prior to the land going up for auction.
Jack McDowell Talks Prairies Jack McDowell has been collecting seed from railroad tracks to secure the long term survival of local species. He realized that farmers and railroad companies spray herbicides that occasionally drift and kill these plants. The prairies at Battelle Darby Metro Park are the result of his hard work and vision. He leads volunteers in prairie restoration work along the Rails Trail in Madison County.
Salmon-colored Catchfly This recessive gene was a surprise find by Jack McDowell. As far as we know, this flower is uniquely ours in Madison County.
Many people don’t realize that prairies are a natural part of Madison County’s history. In contrast to the west, Ohio prairies were small, ranging in size from less than one acre to possibly several hundred acres.
How did the prairies get here? There was a dry spell some 10,000 years ago when the Earth’s climate warmed. This ended the Wisconsinan Glaciation, the last of the four major glaciations or ice ages.
During this time, the western prairies spread eastward into Ohio. The last prairie push occurred 3 thousand years ago. The rainfall in western Ohio was so low (possibly one-third less than today) that the hardwood forest began to die back while the prairies thrived.
However, in recent times (the past 1000 years), Ohio has once again returned to the humid climate giving trees the advantage over prairie. When Ohio was first settled it contained approximately 1500 square miles of prairie.
Another word used instead of prairie was "barrens" because of the lack of trees. Because the land supported no trees, the land was perceived as infertile and sold for half the price of wooded country.
Prairies survived in Madison County due to the clay soils and fires, which killed the trees that tried to overtake the prairie. The fires were both natural and some were started by Native Americans for hunting purposes. Before the whites came, the Darby Plains had been a favored hunting ground. Deer thrived here, as did elk and turkey. Herds of 20 – 30 buffalo were common too.
Early settlers found life harsh on the prairies. The wildfires that raged through the dry grass every year threatened their crops and their lives, and the thick prairie sod defied their iron plow. Early settlers raised cattle on the wet sedge meadows.
That changed in 1837, when John Deere invented the steel plow. The rich moist soils would stick to an iron plow but rolled off the steel one. Then add drainage improvements (tile and ditches) and the barrens become a bread basket.
Since settlement, the prairies have vanished rapidly until today there is no native prairie in Ohio greater than 50 acres. If one were to add all the remnant prairies left in the state, it probably would not add up to one square mile.
Remnants occur along railroads, highways and in abandoned pioneer cemeteries where the soil has never been plowed. Bigelow Cemetery and Smith Cemetery State Nature Preserves are two jewels that we have in Madison County.
Because of today’s climate, prairies would disappear into trees without human intervention. A number of prairie sites are being restored through Conservation Reserve Program, school land labs, and the Madison County Historical Society has one too.
If you are interested in restoring prairies on your property, we can help. Homeowners will find natural landscaping a beautifully exciting and cost effective alternative to conventional turf lawns. Farmers can enroll in conservation programs that provide financial and technical assistance in native plantings. Contact our office by calling 740-852-4004 or email julia.cumming@oh.nacdnet.net for more information.
