Recovery
While visiting the Chicago Botanic Garden in March of 2024, I was struck by a particular area of the Dixon Prairie -- a re-creation of the wild prairies that covered the state of Illinois prior to 1900. Drawn to this type of landscape, it was disconcerting to learn that of the over 21 million acres of prairie that once covered the state, today only 0.01 percent remain. The Dixon Prairie project represents several different prairie types including grasslands, native plants, savannas, and wetlands. Although each is lively and remarkable throughout the seasons, it was the wetlands that caught my eye that day.
Continue reading