Autumn is a beautiful time in the Midwest. We hop in our cars and head north to get a sneak peak of the changing colors that are heading our way. And then as the cooler temperatures settle in, we get to see our own trees turn vibrant shades of red, orange, or yellow. We don’t typically hop in our cars and visit the closest prairie, though. Who wants to go walk around in a sea of dried up flowers, crispy grasses, and boring old… tan?
Me! I do!
Time seems to stand still when you’re in the prairie. The once colorful and active area– full of beautiful flowers, nesting birds, and noisy insects, has started to fall asleep for the winter. There are plenty of discoveries to be made on your hike, so take your hiking essentials and a tape measure.
Most prairie plants are perennials. Perennial means they go through an entire season of growth, go dormant, and then do it all again the next year. During the growing season, plants use a process called photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is how the plants absorb sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide and convert it to oxygen and energy in the form of sugar. The sugars produced help the plant to grow above the ground (stems, leaves, flowers, seeds) and below the ground (roots.) Sugars that are not used immediately are stored within the plant’s roots. It’s like a built-in pantry!
Roots Under the Prairie
Of course, when you’re visiting the prairie you can’t start digging up plants to see how big the roots have grown. You can demonstrate the size of them to our children in another fun way, though. Before you go, check out this poster from the Iowa Living Roadway Trust to see some common prairie plants.
As you can see, some plants have roots that grow over ten feet deep! When you’re out in the prairie, identify one of these plants. (This is where the tape measure comes in!) Have the kids lay out the tape measure the length of ten feet or whatever size you need. Help the children lay down in a line (head to toe) along the tape. This creates a memorable visual for them! They can imagine that if you were able to pull the entire plant out of the ground just the roots would be longer than one, two, or maybe even three kids. How cool is that?
Seeds in the Prairie
Once flowers are produced by the plant, they will be pollinated by either a creature or the wind. Pollination is the kick-start to seed production. At the end of the official growing season, right about the time when the plant begins to go dormant for the winter, the seeds are ready to be spread. It always amazes me how one plant can produce thousands of seeds in such a short amount of time.
There are plenty of them out there, so search for seeds on your hike!
- How many types of seeds can your children find?
- How do they think those seeds are spread- by animals? the wind?
- Can they identify dormant plants based off of their seeds?
While the prairie may not be as colorful as the forest in the fall, it is loaded with plant diversity. It’s a fantastic place to learn about God’s creation.
Prairie Resources
- Iowa Master Naturalist Resources (Prairie Plant Fall Identification)
- Iowa Living Roadway Trust Fund (Jewels of the Prairie Poster Set)
- University of Northern Iowa Tallgrass Prairie Center
- National Geographic – Prairie