A few years ago I went on a “bug hunt” with some biologists from the university. We were carrying out an informal survey of prairie insects in Iowa. Our field site was Rochester Cemetery, about 25 miles west of Iowa City. This beautiful spot contains about 300 to 400 graves, some of which date back to the 1830s. Its status as a cemetery has prevented development and preserved the site as an original prairie remnant. Home to over 350 species of plants and diverse wildlife populations, it’s no wonder this place has attracted naturalists from all over the Midwest.
An article from the New York Times mentions Rochester Cemetery as one of the must see remaining prairie stands.
Where Buffalo Still Roam - Suzanne Winckler
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940CE2DA123AF937A15753C1A9629C8B63&sec=travel
Not everyone appreciates the cemetery’s rustic appearance. Some Rochester residents challenge the idea of keeping the area unmowed.
County clashes over cemetery - Alma Gaul
http://www.iowaprairienetwork.org/prairies/Rochester/20060902_County_clashes_over_cemetery.htm
For more information:
Rochester Cemetary, a Savannah Remnant
http://www.cs.uiowa.edu/~jones/natural/rochester.html
Great post Phil. Like you say, some people say that if there is any native prairie left then it would have to be in these early pioneer graveyards that became somehow forgotten/neglected and were never plowed or replanted with invasives.
ReplyDeleteSince we have so many folks from Chicago in class too, its good to see the NYT mention Goose Lake: "Goose Lake Prairie State Natural Area, about eight miles south of Exit 112 of I-80, is a crown jewel in the treasury of American grasslands. Illinois once harbored 13 million acres of tallgrass prairie; at 2,537 acres, Goose Lake is the largest remnant." The article also mentions the Sand Hills of Nebraska, which is where my mom's family is from and Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in Kansas, which is definitely worth the visit if you are ever flying south on I-35 to Dallas or some destination south.