Winter Seed Planting at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie
Prairie restoration workers and volunteers will plant over 10,000 pounds of seed at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie in the coming months.
Restoration partners and Midewin volunteers are working to plant prairie seeds on 700 acres of new restoration land. Recently, the National Forest Foundation, the Wetlands Initiative and volunteers mixed the seeds of 175 different plant species tailored to each of Midewin’s different prairie habitats.
Beginning with the smaller quantities required, each seed species is meticulously weighed according to a “recipe” indicated for each habitat. Most of the larger quantities of seed will be mixed offsite and then broadcasted across the former soybean fields near Midewin’s Henslow Trail.
Generally, soil moisture levels dictate habitat and these seed mixes will reflect Midewin’s mesic, gravel, sand, wet, sedge meadow, marsh, and savannah prairie habitats. Some examples of the seed for this prairie habitat restoration include: little blue stem, compass plant, prairie blazing star, wild petunia, prairie violets, blue flag iris, cardinal flower, climbing wild rose, and purple milkweed among many other plant species.
Planting continues through the winter months at Midewin because many native prairie plant seeds for this region require a specific number of freezing temperature days before germination can occur.
Restoration has been in process at Midewin since 1996. One of the hopes of this work is to increase the diversity of the native bird populations by creating optimal nesting habitats.
Restoration partners and Midewin volunteers are working to plant prairie seeds on 700 acres of new restoration land. Recently, the National Forest Foundation, the Wetlands Initiative and volunteers mixed the seeds of 175 different plant species tailored to each of Midewin’s different prairie habitats.
Beginning with the smaller quantities required, each seed species is meticulously weighed according to a “recipe” indicated for each habitat. Most of the larger quantities of seed will be mixed offsite and then broadcasted across the former soybean fields near Midewin’s Henslow Trail.
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| Members of The Wetlands Initiative’s Midewin field crew – Jim Conboy, Rachel Rohde, and Matt Taber mix the prairie seeds by hand in the Horticultural Building at the USDA Forest Service’s Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, 30239 S. State Rt. 53 Wilmington, IL 60481. Photos by Julie Larsen/ USDA Forest Service - Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie |
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| Gary Sullivan and Assistant Ecologist Anna Braum of The Wetlands Initiative weighing components for the prairie seed mix at the USDA Forest Service’s Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie. Photos by Julie Larsen/ USDA Forest Service - Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie |
Generally, soil moisture levels dictate habitat and these seed mixes will reflect Midewin’s mesic, gravel, sand, wet, sedge meadow, marsh, and savannah prairie habitats. Some examples of the seed for this prairie habitat restoration include: little blue stem, compass plant, prairie blazing star, wild petunia, prairie violets, blue flag iris, cardinal flower, climbing wild rose, and purple milkweed among many other plant species.
Planting continues through the winter months at Midewin because many native prairie plant seeds for this region require a specific number of freezing temperature days before germination can occur.
Restoration has been in process at Midewin since 1996. One of the hopes of this work is to increase the diversity of the native bird populations by creating optimal nesting habitats.
