Prairie

A year-round palette of colors

A sea of grasses and wildflowers - the tallgrass prairie - once covered America's heartland. It is now one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world, and many of its inhabitants are struggling to survive.

Thousands of acres of rolling prairie once surrounded El Dorado Springs during the pioneer settlement. These grasslands were used for hunting, livestock forage and even a golf course when El Dorado Springs was a resort town in the early 1900s. Today, The Nature Conservancy, the Missouri Department of Conservation and private landowners are restoring these grasslands so future generations will be able to experience Missouri's natural heritage.

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Visit Wah'Kon-Tah Prairie, one of Missouri's largest remaining prairies, by following the signs that will lead you through town appoximately 3 miles to the south end of the preserve. At the site, you can see the native grassland that once dominated this area and explore the wealth of wildflowers and wildlife species that inhabit this rich habitat.

Marker is on Spring Street near Main Street (Missouri Route 82), on the left when traveling west.

Courtesy hmdb.org

Credits and Sources:

HMDB