Prairie Type - The UIS prairie will be a representative model of the largest original prairie type which was the Grand Prairie (black soil prairie) of central Illinois, with flat landscapes, deep loess soil, and poor natural drainage resulting in wet conditions during part of the year. This kind of prairie is the rarest today because the soil is so productive for agricultural crops. We will strive for a high quality prairie consisting of a large diversity of forbs and grasses native to central Illinois and Sangamon County. Another goal for the site is to prevent the invasion of trees and any other "woody" species.

Special Uses - The UIS Prairie will provide an educational experience for visitors. It will also serve as an educational tool for research projects on prairie flora and fauna. It will provide a home for insects and wildlife that have been squeezed out of their natural environment due to the conversion of prairies to cropland. The prairie could also promote the use of native prairie plants in local landscaping.

Budget - SAGE will apply for grants from the university's student association to fund the purchase of seed, seedlings, and equipment. SAGE will also conduct fund-raising activities such as bake sales and environmental t-shirt/button sales. SAGE will also request resources and services from the university staff and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, formerly known as the Illinois Department of Conservation. 

Volunteers - SAGE will volunteer on a regular basis for basic management activities including planting, monitoring, and burning. SAGE will also recruit volunteers from the university community and Sangamon county when needed. 

Site Preparation - SAGE decided to have the site plowed in the fall of 1991 to prepare for planting later that season. Plowing the soil destroys the plants that are currently growing and buries existing weed seed, preventing it from germinating. If expansion of the site occurs in the future, other types of treatment might be used for the additional plot including interseeding, herbiciding, or burning existing vegetation. 

Seed/Seedlings - SAGE decided to order only seed for the first planting due to the large expense of seedlings. Obtaining the right amount of seed for the site was important. We decided to purchase a grass:seed ratio of 2:1. It was also decided to obtain only seed from prairie forbs and grasses native to central Illinois and Sangamon County in order to simulate our specific area's type of prairie. SAGE acquired several useful publications identifying specific species to specific counties in Illinois, including "Prairie Plants of Illinois" by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (Voight and Mohlenbrock), "Distribution of Illinois Vascular Plants" by Mohlenbrock and Ladd (1978), and "Flora of Illinois" (Mohlenbrock 1986). Another more recent resource for Illinois vascular plant information is The Illinois Plant Information Network (ILPIN). 

Planting - There are several options for planting a prairie including broadcasting seed by hand or a lawn-type spreader, using a seed drill, or planting individual seedlings. We found that hand broadcasting would be  the cheapest and easier since large grass seed can clog a spreader. For seeds to germinate correctly, they need to have a good seed to soil contact, making sure that the seed is not buried too deeply. Volunteers should rake the seed into the soil after spreading. The best method to assure good germination rates would be to use a seed drill, however, this can be a costly method to hire professionals to conduct the planting. Planting seedlings is also expensive and very labor intensive, however, this method will produce the best results.

Management - There are numerous weed management activities associated with prairie restorations including weeding, burning, mowing, and herbiciding. Hand weeding can be very labor intensive for a site as large as ours. We plan to utilize burning during the first few years of the project, and possibly spraying Roundup (broad spectrum herbicide) later, although sufficient knowledge of species identification is essential to avoid killing good plants. Another method that we plan to utilize is the use of a sickle to cut the seed heads off of weed species before the seed has matured. Mowing a prairie in the summer is also useful in removing seed heads and allowing sun to reach desired plants that are blocked  by surrounding weeds.

Monitoring - Routine observations of existing vegetation are essential in determining the success of the site and in identifying specific existing problems. Some monitoring topics should include:

1. Perform routine native plant inventories

2. Identify aggressive native grasses and forbs

3. Identify aggressive weeds

4. Identify presence of exotic woody species

Recordkeeping - Maintaining records on all activities and observations of the prairie restoration project is essential in providing a detailed history of the site that will assist restorationists in making future decisions on the management of the site. All records on the UIS prairie site are maintained and kept by UIS' Facility Services department located in BSB-33.