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Maxmillian sunflowers (Helianthus maximilianii). Photo: Pat Whalen
During MPF’s annual Prairie & Woodland Management Training, participants developed and practiced skills including prescribed fire management, forest stand improvement techniques, and chainsaw use. These skills will be utilized moving forward by a diverse cohort of...
Prairies hold excellent opportunities for birdwatching: open skylines provide unobstructed views of birds like the northern harrier short-eared owl, the reserves of seeds and senesced vegetation provide food and shelter for winter resident sparrows, and the wooded...
On June 7 and 8, 2025, MPF recognized National Prairie Day, which the organization founded in 2016, at its recently acquired Snadon Tract of Coyne Prairie in Dade County. Approximately 120 people gathered to admire the prairie and join MPF in officially dedicating...
The painted lady (Vanessa cardui) and the American lady (Vanessa virginienses) are two native butterflies commonly seen on prairies and other habitats as well as native gardens. Painted lady caterpillars feed on many non-woody, native plants, preferring thistles...
While yellow and gold blooms fill prairies and other grasslands in late summer and fall, another floral wave of the season is white. Boneset (Eupatorium species) is a composite flower that stands from one to three feet tall, with a crown of small individual white...
By Carol Davit, MPF Executive Director All prairies are grasslands, but not all grasslands are prairies. In Missouri, grasslands include unplowed, old-growth prairie; glades; savannas; pastures and hay fields of tall fescue (Arundinaria festuca) or other non-native...
Despite the cold, blustery field conditions of the morning birding outing in Pettis County with leader Veronica Mecko on February 18, birds were still out and about for the Great Backyard Bird Count. At the first stop, MPF’s Drovers’ Prairie, nine birders cut the...
They're thorny and they're tough, but thistles are not all bad. In fact, of the nine species of Cirsium found in Missouri, there are several native species that occur on prairies and other habitats. They are rich food sources for birds, butterflies, and moths...
Protecting and restoring rare, imperiled prairie habitats, like the sand savanna at MPF's Edgar W. Schmidt Sand Prairie, is at the core of our mission. This important endeavor involves documenting the history of a site, inventorying its plant and animal communities,...
In April, carpets of low-growing prairie wildflowers bloom, taking advantage of sunlight before taller grasses create shade. Among them are two plant species that, in addition to turning sunlight into plant food through good old-fashioned photosynthesis, supplement...