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Go DeeperThe Nature Conservancy in Missouri |
History buffs would do well to poke around Calvary Cemetery in St. Louis, resting place of Gen. William T. Sherman, escaped slave Dred Scott and playwright Tennessee Williams. But the cemetery also boasts a remarkable living history: a 25-acre remnant of tallgrass prairie—the rare habitat that once blanketed the vast American Midwest. The Nature Conservancy is partnering with several groups to restore this urban oasis to its original majesty—a prairie teeming with native wildflowers and grasses as high as a rider on horseback.
Tallgrass prairies, once home to bison, wolves and other wildlife, have nearly vanished from the United States and are among the most endangered habitats. Millions of acres of prairie have been destroyed by agriculture, development and fire suppression (fire prevents trees and non-native species from taking over).
It’s no small irony that prairie remnants have survived and thrived in a number of Midwestern cemeteries. The tracts of prairie in Calvary—tucked in an unused corner of the cemetery—have endured because they served for decades as pasture for workhorses.
The Archdiocese of St. Louis, owner of Calvary Cemetery, has signed a 100-year agreement to help preserve the prairie. Restoration efforts have included clearing away invasive species, conducting prescribed burns and planting additional bluestem and other prairie grasses.
A Conservancy partner on the project, The Green Center, is working to help urban residents experience the land’s prairie heritage. It has organized restoration volunteers, welcomed students from nearby schools and advised local residents about the planned fire. “You can stand out there and be lost in all this high grass,” says Carissa Gigliotti of The Green Center. “You get a sense of what the founders of the city or Lewis and Clark would have seen here. It’s almost like stepping back in time.”
—Brandt Goldstein
Nature picture credits: Photo © Carissa Gigliotti/The Green Center (Volunteers young and old are helping to restore a 25-acre remnant of tallgrass prairie in St. Louis’ Calvary Cemetery.)
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