The Hidden Beauty of the Great Plains Prairies
“Coming from either direction the land changes before you have a chance to get ready for it... When you get the feeling that the whole world can see you and no one is watching you have come to the grasslands of North America.” Dan O’Brien
"Anyone can love the mountains, but it takes a soul to love the prairie." Willa Cather
Years ago, I was told by a ranch guest, who had spent the evening at our former very-modest guest house, that he thought the $125.00 for the night (complete with a ranch tour & horseback ride) was too much. He continued to explain that he had just come from Montana, where there were mountains, wildflowers and fast running water, and that comparatively for a flat prairie, we were overpriced. He was not invited back.
Perhaps I am biased, as I have always been a flat lander. And, although I love the mountains, especially the edges, I find that after a day or two on the inside, claustrophobia sets in, creating a sense of panic.
The magic of a prairie landscape can be so breathtakingly beautiful, that it often brings me to tears. And although we may not have mountainsides covered in beautiful wildflowers, or fast running water, our fertile rivers, creeks, springs, playas and stock dams glisten in the grass, and are vital resources for all wildlife.
I am a prairie girl at heart, and the wide open spaces with the moving grass are soothing to my soul. My daily walks through the pastures always present hidden discoveries, and I stop to take in the beauty at my feet before investigating the resident pollinators that flitter and flutter about.
Over the past months, I have photographed some of these discoveries to share with you, so you too can have a window of what lies within. And hopefully, it will pull at your heartstrings just a little... so you will (if not already) become champions of these threatened grasslands and all of the creatures, big and small that call it home.
Pictured above: Bull Thistle & Small Pearl-Bordered Fritillary, Coneflower & Brown Belted Bumble Bees, Bush Morning Glory
Pictured above: Wholly Verbena
Pictured above: Echinachia & I think Mud Bees (I was an interloper...), Columbia Cutleaf, Milk Weed & Mammoth Wasp
Pictured above: Penstomon & I believe Lambert Locoweed or Milkvetch in the background
Pictured above: Prickly Pear Cactus, Foxglove Beardtongue & Bumble Bee, Salsify
Pictured above: Prickly Poppy & Green Metalic Sweat Bee
Pictured above: Milkweed & Monarch Butterfly, Scarlet Globemallow, Purple Milkvetch & Yellow Cresent Blister Beetle
Pictured above: Field Mustard & Cricotopus sylvestris
Pictured above: Spiderwort, Evening Primrose, Slender Scruffpea
Other images in text from the top: 1 & 2 - Prairie Pastures, 3 - Wilson Phalarope and some type of water daisy? 4) Echinachia, 5) Kill Deer
Disclaimer: I am not a botanist or an entomologist, so I may have identified some of the species above incorrectly. It is always best to identify as you are capturing the images, as the subtle differences of petal & leaf shape, color, etc, can aid in identification. Please feel free to jump in on the comments and correct me if I have misidentified.
A great way to support an intact prairie ecosystem, is to eat the by-product that comes from it. I have a fabulous recommendation for you, which you can find HERE. : ) As always, thank you for your support & time. Jill
Beautiful pictures. When I was young and still living in England I would find most of those flowers growing by the hedgerows and knew all their names. A pleasant memory, thank you.
Thank you, Jill, for your pictures of the prairie. To see so far, even in a photograph, feels like refreshment for my soul, and then I love the prairie more.
Every time I place an order (yesterday!), my love for the prairie feels refreshed. Although infrequent (my wife and I are not frequent meat eaters), I think often of the Wild Idea mission and prairie grasslands. I live on the eastern edge of grassland landscape, just west of Minneapolis, where small patches are maintained. Living photographs framed by woodlands. Reminders. Like your photographs and like Dan’s books too.
And thanks also for the quote of Willa Cather. So true, for me. Today I’ll be asking my favorite little bookstore, Hearthside Books, for something of hers to read.
I’m planning on drifting through the Great Plains next month. Might stop by to say hi or just stop on an overlook and say “hello out there” in the prairie wind.
Gratefully,
Wever