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Summary The prairies of the Midwestern U.S. have largely been destroyed and replaced by agricultural fields. Fortunately, there exists more awareness of the value of the prairie ecosystem as an environmentally stable landscape that provides a variety of environmental, economic, and aesthetic benefits. This web page describes the history of prairies and the formation and management of a prairie restoration site located on the campus of the University of Illinois at Springfield (UIS). The UIS campus consists of 746 acres with nearly 400 currently leased out to local farmers. The entire campus was previously agricultural fields, and before that, prairie. This web page also includes the description of a biodiversity project where more than 35 new species of forbs (wildflowers) were introduced on the site. The prairie was established in 1991 by Students Allied for a Greener Earth (SAGE), a student organization sponsored by the Environmental Studies Program. SAGE is a chapter group of the Student Environmental Action Coalition (SEAC), a student and youth run national network of progressive organizations and individuals whose aim is to uproot environmental injustices through action and education. SAGE has been active in promoting environmental awareness on campus for topics such as recycling, waste reduction, and Illinois natural heritage. This web page consists of three major sections including:
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