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The Nature Conservancy in Missouri Home Contact Places We Protect Field Trips & Events Press Releases Volunteer Ways of Giving |
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Grand River Grasslands
Dunn Ranch & Pawnee Prairie
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The combined restoration of this area including Iowa and Missouri will be more than 70,000 acres. Efforts to restore a tallgrass prairie landscape and provide critical corridors for grassland species are moving forward through intensive restoration of prairie systems and natural communities through partnership with private landowners and other conservation organizations. The greater prairie chicken and Henslows sparrows are signature species on this native prairie.
Why You Should Visit
On the wide-open rolling expanses of Dunn Ranch and Pawnee Prairie, prairie chickens still perform their colorful spring "booming"; the upland plover's ghostly call carries in the wind; and regal fritillary butterflies alight on gorgeous coneflowers
Location
Harrison County, north of Bethany
Hours
Daylight
Size
Dunn Ranch: 3,680 acres
The Nature Conservancy's Pawnee Prairie: 434 acres
Missouri Department of Conservation's Pawnee Prairie: 476 acres
Area in Grand River Grasslands protected by The Nature Conservancy: more than 5,000 acres
Grand River Grassland restoration landscape: 70,000 acres.
Conditions
The area is marked by high vegetation from late spring through fall. Large rolling hills make for a moderate hike. It is frequently windy, and spring can be very cool and breezy on the prairie. In summer it is often very hot, with little shade. Beware of cattle on Dunn Ranch.
How to Prepare for Your Visit
Some or all areas of the preserve may be temporarily closed due to restoration efforts. Please call the Dunn Ranch office at (660) 867-3866 prior to your visit. Check the local weather forecast and dress accordingly. Long pants and sleeves, hiking boots, drinking water, hat and compass are recommended. During warm weather, light color and light-weight clothing is suggested. Repellent, binoculars, and field guide(s) are also worth bringing.
Preserve Visitation Guidelines
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| Pawnee Prairie |
This preserve is home to a suite of grassland birds, including greater prairie chickens, Henslow's sparrows, upland sandplover, sedge wrens and grasshopper sparrows. A vast array of native wildflowers and grasses can also be found here, including little bluestem, big bluestem, switch grass, Indian grass, rattlesnake master, prairie violet and downy blue gentian.
What to See: Plants
The native seed nursery at the Missouri Department of Conservation's Pawnee Prairie showcases 28 forbs and grasses that are being used in the restoration efforts.
Why the Conservancy Selected This Site
In the entire Central Tallgrass Prairie Ecoregion, an area spanning 110,000 square miles and parts of six states, Dunn Ranch represents possibly the last chance to conserve a living landscape of tallgrass prairie on deep soil. Of the original 2,281-acre Dunn Ranch purchased by the Conservancy in 1999, more than 1000 acres have never been plowed. Today, Dunn Ranch is the anchor site of a 70,000-acre prairie restoration that extends into Iowa.
What the Conservancy Has Done/Is Doing
Dunn Ranch
The Conservancy is working closely with the Missouri Department of Conservation, Iowa DNR and other partners to restore a functional tallgrass prairie. Controlled fire, conservation grazing and woody reduction are being used on a large scale to abate the degradation of habitat caused by invasive species, such as fescue and Osage orange and locust trees.
A recent acquisition of the 710-acre Westlake tract extends Dunn Ranch's northern boundary and protects the upper watershed of a critical headwaters stream. Subsequent smaller acquisitions have expanded grassland habitat critical to prairie chickens and other wildlife.
In 2002, the Conservancy began efforts to reintroduce the Topeka Shiner, an endangered minnow restricted to prairie headwaters streams. Also in 2002, the native seed nursery at nearby Pawnee Prairie was expanded to include 35 species.
In 2005, the Conservancy acquired 685 acres for restoration and protection, which will serve as a critical corridor between Dunn Ranch and Pawnee Prairie to the south and Kellerton Wildlife area to the north (see map). The Pennington tract features level to rolling hills with a crest that offers a panoramic view of most of the tract. This area is particularly well suited to prairie chick "booming" or mating grounds and will contribute to necessary minimum requirements for grassland species.
The Conservancy has also incorporated the introduction of bison in its conservation plan for Dunn Ranch - scheduled for 2007. Work has begun on enhanced perimeter fencing.
See Slide Shows:
Creating a native plant nursery at Pawnee Prairie and
Seasonal views of the prairies
