SierraScape June - July 2003
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by Gary Skolnick

For thousands of years much of the St. Louis area was covered by a rich prairie and savanna ecosystem. Regularly rejuvenated by natural and man-made fires, these tall grasslands were home to a wide variety of flora and fauna. As recently as 1819, Henry Shaw described what is now Tower Grove Park and the Botanical Garden as a vast undulating prairie, without trees, and covered with tall luxuriant grass. Since that time, with the coming of the settlers and the invention of the steel plow, almost all of that native landscape has been converted for other uses. Over the last decade, however, prairie restoration projects from Wisconsin to Oklahoma have rejuvenated this all but lost natural wonder. And now this natural attraction is in our own backyard; prairies and savannah again have their place in our urban jewel, Forest Park. Restoration Projects begun a few years ago will blossom this spring in bursts of yellow black-eyed susans and lanky coreopsis. The summer will bring tall lavender monarda plants swaying in the wind while monarch butterflies and caterpillars feast on milkweed topped by fragrant pink umbels. Come enjoy this diverse ecosystem in many locations: alongside Skinker Boulevard between Kennedy Woods and the golf course, in front of the Muny Theatre, or along the bicycle path north of the skating rink.

In addition, you are welcome to help create a savanna still in its infancy: The Full Circle Healing Garden. Located in the southeast corner of Forest Park near Steinberg Ice Rink and across from Barnes-Jewish Hospital, The Garden will feature a diverse mixture of native wildflowers and grasses. A full-scale effort to finish the garden is now underway. To join the all-volunteer organization behind the Full Circle Healing Garden contact Gary Skolnick at 314-773-2011 or gardener@im.wustl.edu.