Prairie Nature Center

Explore the tunnel of grass!

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Something amazing happens on the trails at the prairie during this time of year.  The grasses have finally emerged and are reaching towards the sky as they continue to grow taller.  The breeze and their height have begun to put a soft bend in the grass stems and they gently lean off to one side or another.  The beautiful formation that has made its appearance is the Tunnel of Grass.  Yes, I’ve named the fleeting structure created by the presence of tall grasses near the trails edge.  There is something about being enveloped by the grasses as they sway in the breeze that makes me so happy.  I strongly encourage you to come and experience the feeling for yourself. 

For those of you who can’t make it out to the prairie, here are two videos of the walk I took Friday morning.  It was fairly windy and the grasses just danced as the breeze moved through them.  Stunning.

Part 1:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79nQb45glEA]

Part 2:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e96X3lrRmrU]

Don’t fence us in!

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OSU Marion and the Marion Technical College (MTC) share the Marion campus.  Both institutions have new buildings planned for construction.  OSU Marion is beginning the fundraising phase for a green science building.  MTC is planning to break ground on their nursing building towards the end of August.  In preparation for construction to begin, the contractors have installed chain link fencing around the site.  It just so happens that the new buildling will be next to the prairie, which means the fencing runs right along our border. 

Don’t be afraid- the prairie will remain open during construction!  The fencing should also help us out by ensuring equipment doesn’t get parked in our plantings.  Below you can see a few pictures of the fencing from earlier today.

Finally!

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We’ve finally got a significant amount of rain.  Yesterday we got over half an inch of rain and while I write this entry I can hear the sky rumbling outside as another storm rolls into Marion.  I’m so thankful for the rain and hope it sticks around for a bit longer!

ANDRGERA OAKOPEN 2AUGO3 wet

Here's a great picture of rain soaked Big Bluestem from 2003. Photo courtesy of Bob Klips. Click the picture to check out his awesome website!

Where’s the rain?

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I’ve been hoping for a bit of rain for the past week or so.  I check the weather forecast often and we’ve had rain predicted several times that just never seems to materialize.  I’ve just checked the weather outlook for this week and again found that there is a chance of rain each day this week.  As much as I hope some precipitation actually occurs, it seems the track record would indicate otherwise.  Here’s what this week looks like:

weather

Ride along with me- new video!

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I’ve added the first video to the blog!  This video was taken about 2 weeks ago while riding around the prairie on the back of the tractor.  I thought it would give readers a new view of the prairie.  The camera is a little shaky on the back of the tractor so be sure to take some Dramamine if motion sickness is a problem for you!  Enjoy!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1IowZaVzCM]

Another nice group of flowers started blooming. Enjoy some pictures!

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What a nice time to visit.  There are so many different flowers in bloom right now.  Although the grasses haven’t reached their peak yet, the flowers really are putting on a show!

News Flash- Royal Catchfly in bloom!

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Last Monday I was outside clearing brush from the prairie.  I attached our new cart to the tractor to collect all the brush.  At one point I stepped off the tractor and had a really nice surprise.  Just a few feet in front of me was Royal Catchfly- in full bloom.  I gasped and smiled at this bright red beauty.  I spotted lots of Royal Catchfly in bloom around the prairie.

For some reason the blooms look a little orangish in these photos- but be assured, they are very red in person!

Color abounds!

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Yesterday was a great day at the prairie.  I started out the morning by mowing the grass, which is a great way to see the entire prairie from a higher vantage point.  I saw so many flowers in bloom from all over the prairie.  It seems there is orange everywhere- both Michigan Lily and Butterfly Milkweed are in full bloom.  I’ve added a lot of pictures from the walk I took after mowing.  Enjoy!