Experiencing the prairie

I knew almost nothing about prairies before my first visits to the restored prairie at Crow-Hassan more than 30 years ago. The more I learned, the more I loved the prairie. Every season has its own magic: wildflowers and nesting trumpeter swans in the spring, butterflies in the summer, the colors of big bluestem and oaks in the fall, moonlight and starlight on snow in the winter. I've experienced these wonders mostly on foot (and occasionally on a horse). A major part of the magic is being surrounded by the natural world. People need places like Crow-Hassan where we can ditch the noise and busy-ness of our everyday lives and spend some time focusing on nature.