Fulbright Grant Awarded for Savannah Restoration Project

Submitted by Frank on Thu, 12/03/2009 - 9:31am

Under the auspices of a Fulbright Grant, the Sustainable Living Coalition will be undertaking a 1 acre native tall grass praire and savannah restoration project near the SLC Fairfield Ecological Design Center on the SLC Campus.

This demonstration project will provide an ecological heritage site for the community and visitors who wish to stroll along its pathways to enjoy the beauty and wildness of Iowa’s natural environment. It will also serve as an educational demonstration project to be used in conjunction with workshops offered through the Center, as well as a resource for research on local prairie ecosystems.

E-mail infosustainablelivingcoalition [dot] org if you would like to help volunteer for this project.

Until 200 years ago, almost all of Iowa was covered by prairie savannah. Over time, the degradation of prairie roots created the most fertile soil on the planet. Today, after many years of plowing and agricultural use, coupled with other forms of development, less than one percent of Iowa’s tall grass prairie ecosystem remains. As a result, soil erosion and pollution from herbicides and pesticides threaten the food and water supply in America’s heartland.

In addition to the loss and pollution of soil, the disappearance of prairie grasses has robbed Iowa and other plains states of the most natural means—apart from rainforests—to reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Scientists speculate that the demise of the prairie has had a far-reaching environmental impact in terms of climate change, biological invasions and sustainability.

Goals of the project include:

• Reconnect people with their environment
• Provide a model of the natural permaculture of the prairie
• Demonstrate the prairie ecosystem’s ability to reduce soil erosion and enhance nutrients
• Compile a database to track the relationship between plant biology and climate
• Serve as a research site for others
• Offer both self-guided and structured educational experiences
• Expand the program offerings at Fairfield Ecological Design Center
• Serve as a landscape model for individuals and organizations
• Strengthen community ties
• Increase public awareness (locally, regionally, nationally) about sustainable living
• Help fulfill Fairfield’s 10-year sustainability plan
• Develop ties between Fairfield’s sustainability initiatives and related projects such as Iowa’s Prairie Learning Center (www.tallgrass.org), and Kansas’s Konza Prairie (www.konza.ksu.edu) and Land Institute (www.landinstitute.org)