The Daryl Smith Prairie Center recently celebrated its 50th anniversary of prairie restoration at UNI.
To commemorate this milestone, an event was hosted by the Tallgrass Prairie Center (TPC) and the UNI Biology Department on Sept. 16. Attendees had the opportunity to play prairie bingo, catch grasshoppers, and try out the new trail map.
The Daryl Smith Prairie was founded in 1973 and was previously just a pasture. Many doubted whether restoration was possible, but Daryl Smith, a biology professor at the time, and his students seeded the eight-acre prairie and began the restoration process. The prairie was restored by collecting wildflower and grass seeds. Over time, students and faculty at the university also rescued plants from prairies around Iowa that were soon going to be destroyed and added them into the prairie as well.
In 1999, the Native Roadside Vegetation Center was founded by Daryl Smith. However, in 2006, the center was renamed the Tallgrass Prairie Center to better reflect its mission, programs and activities. Over the years, the center has become the headquarters for many programs including Iowa Roadside Management and Restoration & Research. The center and preserves support a wide range of UNI research labs and teaching projects. They are also used by numerous classes and groups offered at the university such as earth science, geography and ROTC.
The Tallgrass Prairie Center and preserves are a hidden gem, as TPC director and biology professor, Laura Jackson, stated. UNI has almost 90 acres of prairie located on campus, which is unique to the area. The TPC is located west of the UNI-Dome and the McLeod Center, and UNI students and faculty are welcome to use the 12 miles of prairie trails around campus as well. The center also encourages university members interested in helping at the center to reach out as there are always opportunities to volunteer or work for the center. Some events include cutting down brush in the fall and burning season in the spring. On Oct. 28 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., the center will be cutting down brush at the Daryl Smith prairie and welcomes those interested to join them. Helping to maintain the prairies and preserves can keep them around for generations to come.
