Wumple.com

From the Quad City Times:

Just before daybreak last Sunday, I found myself huddled in a wood trailer atop a grassy knoll in northwest Missouri, squinting through a small window and waiting.

Also in the trailer were a dozen other bundled-up nature lovers who had driven from across Iowa to this remote, windswept spot to witness a wonder of the animal kingdom: the spectacular courtship dance of the male greater prairie chicken.

As we peered out the windows facing the dancing ground called a lek, the chickens appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, and began their show.

It was amazing.

Read the full article here.

Come see spring prairie flowers, native grasses, grassland birds, butterflies, and other prairie wildlife on a native prairie field trip!

1. Meador Prairie Field Trip – April 19th (Sat.), Saint Jo (Cooke/Montague County west of Fort Worth)
2. Fort Worth Prairie Fest – April 26th (Sat.), Fort Worth (Tandy Hills Natural Area)
3. Simpson Prairie Field Trip – May 3rd (Sat.), Crawford (McLennan County, south of Waco)
4. Maddin Prairie Preserve Breeding Bird Survey– May 10th-11th (Sat.-Sun.), Colorado City (Mitchell County, west of Abilene)
5. Nash Prairie Field Trip – May 17th (Sat.), West Columbia (Brazoria County, south of Houston)
6. Clymer Meadow Field Trip (TNC) – May 17th (Sat.), Celeste (Hunt County, NE of Dallas)

Tallgrass prairie is the most endangered large ecosystem in North America, with less than 1% estimated to remain in Texas.  In addition to beautiful prairie flowers and lush native grasses, our prairies are habitat for grassland birds, the most declining group of birds in North America, butterflies and other pollinators, and other prairie wildlife.  We must protect these special places to save Texas’ prairie heritage.

Tallgrass prairies also sequester large amounts of carbon, so tallgrass prairie restorations could be used to help fight global warming.  Tallgrass prairie plantings on marginal cropland have been identified as the best source of low-input cellulosic biofuel that would not impact our food supply.

Check out NPAT’s web page for an up-to-date listing of events.