Two hundred years ago a vast prairie ecosystem stretched unbroken throughout the Midwestern United States and into Canada. The tallgrass prairie ecosystem encompassed parts of 14 states including nearly all of Iowa.
Deep organic soils formed by the cyclic degradation of prairie roots left a rich legacy to modern agriculture: the most fertile soil in the world. As a result, 99.9% of the original prairie landscape in Iowa succumbed to the plow and other forms of development in a matter of a few decades.
Savannas, park-like communities of bur oak, hickory, and walnut trees, grew amidst the rolling sea of tallgrass. A carpet of wildflowers and shorter grasses accompanied the outstretched trees, as did a specific collection of animals including elk, shrikes, fox squirrels, and redheaded woodpeckers. The savannas were considered an oasis to travelers of the lonely prairie landscape. Today, oak savannas are as rare as their tallgrass prairie counterpart.
Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge is working to re-create over 8000 acres of Iowa's native tallgrass prairie and oak savanna, an endeavor never before been undertaken. The project's significance lies in the re-connection of people and nature . . . both to the past and to the future.
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