In January and February, ASO continued stewardship work on its two prairies, making them even more worth a visit this spring and summer.

   At the Cuming City Prairie, a skilled operator used a skid-steer loader with a drum mulcher to remove at least three acres of overgrown shrubs and trees to help preserve the site as a grassland. A new firebreak around the edge of the site will allow for a controlled burn early this year once conditions allow. Staff from Fontenelle Forest will assist with the burn. The mechanical removal of woody stems over three years, combined with fire and other control techniques, will ensure that trees and shrubs do not take over and will create more opportunities for native prairie plants to flourish this growing season and in the future. The stewardship efforts have been supported in part by a grant from Pheasants Forever. Glenn Pollock, co-chair of the ASO Natural Areas Stewardship Committee, hopes to lead a visit to the Cuming City Prairie in June to look at how the prairie has benefited from these recent stewardship activities.

   With a burn completed last fall, the Glenn Pollock Prairie should show a fresh burst of growth this spring. At some point this year, ASO hopes to mow some remaining dead vegetation to make way for new growth. If there is a significant snowfall this winter, it will help seeds planted last fall work their way into the ground and provide moisture for their development.