"This country was mostly wild pasture and as naked as the back of your hand," said the author. "I was little and homesick and lonely and my mother was homesick and nobody paid any attention to us. So the country and I had it out together and by the end of the first autumn, that shaggy grass country had gripped me with a passion I have never been able to shake. It has been the happiness and the curse of my life." —Omaha Bee, October 29, 1921.
The “middle ground” includes the Willa Cather Memorial Prairie. Much has changed on that 607-acre tract of mixed-grass landscape next to the Kansas boarder in Webster County. If you have not visited lately, a trip to this particular “middle ground” might be worth your time.
For my own part, I admit that I am not completely familiar with every inch of the Cather Memorial Prairie. I know the east end next to Highway 281 very well because when I taught, my students “camped” there each fall for an hour or so to do assignments. However, until a year or so ago I had not investigated the western section. Then one day in June of 2006, my husband Ron and I decided to walk to the west end. We shared a picnic lunch and then set off.
As we left the more familiar land next to the highway, we encountered fairly rough terrain. Soon we came to hillsides covered in wild flowers. One hill was covered with wild roses in full bloom—reminding me of Emil and Marie in O Pioneers!. The grass became taller and lusher as we neared the windmill (which one can barely see from the east entrance to the Prairie). We discovered a second deep valley with a creek winding through it from south to north. My goal was to see if we could find some antique barbed wire fences. Those western fences, however, were relatively new. I was both disappointed in not finding old wire and pleased at the same time because new fence is usually trouble-free. It was an exhilarating, long walk. We looked up at a perfect turquoise blue sky that day with the wind bending the grass below and us too as we headed into the breezes. We decided to follow the fence to the north side and then head back toward our vehicle.
* * *
As most members and friends of the Foundation know, the Cather Memorial Prairie was purchased some thirty-two years ago by the Nature Conservancy through the generosity of Frank Woods, Jr. In 2005 the Nature Conservancy turned the land over to the Cather Foundation, along with a significant endowment, which will enable the Foundation not only to maintain the land but also to improve it. To this end, a Prairie Management Committee has been established with a membership that has very impressive credentials in the area of grasslands management.
Over the years, many non-native plants have invaded the Prairie. The “mission” of the Prairie Management Committee is to restore the native grasses and eliminate those plants foreign to Nebraska mixed-grasslands. So, how does one go about doing that? The answers are multiple and not particularly simple.
First the Management Committee took a walk one fine day to begin identifying native plants vs. invasive plants. Everyone was impressed by the variety of native plants found and the rarity of some of these plants. For my part, I went along with the experts on the walk, determined to learn to identify plants on this vast expanse. I took with me a pencil and drawing paper. Eventually I gave up. Now, however, Cindy Bruneteau has put together a pamphlet that lists many of the native plants and includes color photographs. Today, using her guide, anyone can take a walk on the Prairie and identify many spectacular and rare plants. (For more information about these plants, interested individuals can contact Cindy Bruneteau, Education Director at the Cather Foundation. Cindy is the Cather Center representative on the Prairie Management team.)
Ridding the Prairie of invasive plants requires multiple solutions. Jim Fitzgibbon, chair of the Prairie Management Committee has invoked some of those solutions. He has almost single handedly cut down well over a thousand cedar trees, which have been spreading rapidly throughout South Central Nebraska in recent years. In addition, he has hand-sprayed and/or spaded up tons of noxious weeds.
Controlling invasive grasses requires some long-term solutions, one of which is cattle grazing. I admit that at one time I was determined to remove the cattle from this property. I can remember taking students to the Cather Prairie when there were no cattle and therefore no “cow pies” and few insects and other pests. When cattle were re-introduced, these irritations grew—more cow pies, more insects, etc. However, I have relaxed my opposition. Cattle, like the native buffalo of long ago, are an important part of the ecological health of the landscape. If grazing is properly controlled, cattle can help eliminate some of the non-native grasses and encourage growth of native plants. Again Jim Fitzgibbon enters the picture. Jim has helped with and/or supervised the building of fences to divide the prairie into three relatively equal-sized paddocks. Next year the land will be leased and cattle will be rotated among the paddocks in a timely fashion with the goal of controlling non-native grasses. Farmer/ranchers in the area confirm that this system can work to eliminate unwanted grasses.
Water is another major issue on the Cather Prairie. It is interesting to note that this tract of land has only one windmill and a reputation for not having sufficient underground water to furnish more windmills. However, we have learned to our surprise that natural springs abound. The general consensus had been that there are three natural springs on the Cather Prairie. Then Jim Fitzgibbon located eight more! By fencing off some of these springs, Jim has been able to keep cattle from tramping the springs shut and cutting off the water flow. The free-flowing springs are now beginning to provide ample water in the paddocks for cattle. When the Prairie was transferred to the Cather Foundation, we were in the midst of a long period of drought; however, with the recent rains and the working springs, water abounds, as evidenced by the accompanying photograph.
If you really want to take a walk on the Cather Memorial Prairie, you might be interested in the hiking paths that have been designed and will soon be created. Already, this stretch of land is a Nebraska birding site. Creative ideas continue to come forth for other ways to improve the quality of the landscape. The future of the Cather Memorial Prairie is bright. However, there is still much to do. If you are interested in volunteering, contact Cindy Bruneteau at the Cather Center; contributions are welcome and will be used wisely to continue improvements on what we hope will become one of the most outstanding examples of unbroken mixed-grass prairie in the country—a fitting tribute to the great American author whose name is indelibly stamped on this rich, “wine-stained” stretch of earth.
The “middle ground” includes the Willa Cather Memorial Prairie. Much has changed on that 607-acre tract of mixed-grass landscape next to the Kansas boarder in Webster County. If you have not visited lately, a trip to this particular “middle ground” might be worth your time.
For my own part, I admit that I am not completely familiar with every inch of the Cather Memorial Prairie. I know the east end next to Highway 281 very well because when I taught, my students “camped” there each fall for an hour or so to do assignments. However, until a year or so ago I had not investigated the western section. Then one day in June of 2006, my husband Ron and I decided to walk to the west end. We shared a picnic lunch and then set off.
As we left the more familiar land next to the highway, we encountered fairly rough terrain. Soon we came to hillsides covered in wild flowers. One hill was covered with wild roses in full bloom—reminding me of Emil and Marie in O Pioneers!. The grass became taller and lusher as we neared the windmill (which one can barely see from the east entrance to the Prairie). We discovered a second deep valley with a creek winding through it from south to north. My goal was to see if we could find some antique barbed wire fences. Those western fences, however, were relatively new. I was both disappointed in not finding old wire and pleased at the same time because new fence is usually trouble-free. It was an exhilarating, long walk. We looked up at a perfect turquoise blue sky that day with the wind bending the grass below and us too as we headed into the breezes. We decided to follow the fence to the north side and then head back toward our vehicle.
* * *
As most members and friends of the Foundation know, the Cather Memorial Prairie was purchased some thirty-two years ago by the Nature Conservancy through the generosity of Frank Woods, Jr. In 2005 the Nature Conservancy turned the land over to the Cather Foundation, along with a significant endowment, which will enable the Foundation not only to maintain the land but also to improve it. To this end, a Prairie Management Committee has been established with a membership that has very impressive credentials in the area of grasslands management.
Over the years, many non-native plants have invaded the Prairie. The “mission” of the Prairie Management Committee is to restore the native grasses and eliminate those plants foreign to Nebraska mixed-grasslands. So, how does one go about doing that? The answers are multiple and not particularly simple.
First the Management Committee took a walk one fine day to begin identifying native plants vs. invasive plants. Everyone was impressed by the variety of native plants found and the rarity of some of these plants. For my part, I went along with the experts on the walk, determined to learn to identify plants on this vast expanse. I took with me a pencil and drawing paper. Eventually I gave up. Now, however, Cindy Bruneteau has put together a pamphlet that lists many of the native plants and includes color photographs. Today, using her guide, anyone can take a walk on the Prairie and identify many spectacular and rare plants. (For more information about these plants, interested individuals can contact Cindy Bruneteau, Education Director at the Cather Foundation. Cindy is the Cather Center representative on the Prairie Management team.)
Ridding the Prairie of invasive plants requires multiple solutions. Jim Fitzgibbon, chair of the Prairie Management Committee has invoked some of those solutions. He has almost single handedly cut down well over a thousand cedar trees, which have been spreading rapidly throughout South Central Nebraska in recent years. In addition, he has hand-sprayed and/or spaded up tons of noxious weeds.
Controlling invasive grasses requires some long-term solutions, one of which is cattle grazing. I admit that at one time I was determined to remove the cattle from this property. I can remember taking students to the Cather Prairie when there were no cattle and therefore no “cow pies” and few insects and other pests. When cattle were re-introduced, these irritations grew—more cow pies, more insects, etc. However, I have relaxed my opposition. Cattle, like the native buffalo of long ago, are an important part of the ecological health of the landscape. If grazing is properly controlled, cattle can help eliminate some of the non-native grasses and encourage growth of native plants. Again Jim Fitzgibbon enters the picture. Jim has helped with and/or supervised the building of fences to divide the prairie into three relatively equal-sized paddocks. Next year the land will be leased and cattle will be rotated among the paddocks in a timely fashion with the goal of controlling non-native grasses. Farmer/ranchers in the area confirm that this system can work to eliminate unwanted grasses.
Water is another major issue on the Cather Prairie. It is interesting to note that this tract of land has only one windmill and a reputation for not having sufficient underground water to furnish more windmills. However, we have learned to our surprise that natural springs abound. The general consensus had been that there are three natural springs on the Cather Prairie. Then Jim Fitzgibbon located eight more! By fencing off some of these springs, Jim has been able to keep cattle from tramping the springs shut and cutting off the water flow. The free-flowing springs are now beginning to provide ample water in the paddocks for cattle. When the Prairie was transferred to the Cather Foundation, we were in the midst of a long period of drought; however, with the recent rains and the working springs, water abounds, as evidenced by the accompanying photograph.
If you really want to take a walk on the Cather Memorial Prairie, you might be interested in the hiking paths that have been designed and will soon be created. Already, this stretch of land is a Nebraska birding site. Creative ideas continue to come forth for other ways to improve the quality of the landscape. The future of the Cather Memorial Prairie is bright. However, there is still much to do. If you are interested in volunteering, contact Cindy Bruneteau at the Cather Center; contributions are welcome and will be used wisely to continue improvements on what we hope will become one of the most outstanding examples of unbroken mixed-grass prairie in the country—a fitting tribute to the great American author whose name is indelibly stamped on this rich, “wine-stained” stretch of earth.
