December 2, 2023

A light coating of snow covers the prairie, reflecting and amplifying the orange and pink glow of the sunrise. Tiny prints reveal nighttime paths across the yard. I gladly push the heaps of snow off of my car and head towards an area of the sanctuary where volunteers are beginning to gather.

We walk down a path into the snowy field, forming groups of three who are each assigned a half-acre portion of the nine acres being seeded. We're handed buckets filled with damp sawdust and twenty-five species of native grasses and forbs, including fringed brome (Bromus ciliatus), cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum), and spotted bee balm (Monarda punctata). Mixes were varied across the buckets to create more diversity, with a total of seventy-seven species seeded. The sawdust adds weight and volume to the tiny seeds, holding them together and making it easier to spread them evenly.

We each choose a different direction to walk, weaving back and forth slowly while dropping or tossing small handfuls of seeds in somewhat measured increments. It's best to cover the whole plot in two passes, with only half of the bucket emptied during the first pass. This ensures that enough seed will be left for the entire area. We are careful to avoid the entrances to badger dens.

Prairie plants are often seeded in the fall and winter, where they will lie dormant, working their way into the soil as it freezes and thaws until they germinate in spring.

The event is an encouraging display of community, with around thirty volunteers pacing back and forth in their respective plots, contributing to the restoration of the land. We end the morning at the top of the hill where we started, chatting and eating chocolate chip cookies. I look forward to seeing which plants appear next year.

Prairie Dock

Canada Wild Rye

Prairie Cinquefoil

Coneflower