Dodecatheon meadia blooming in burnt prairie.
Yellow flowers are Lithospermum canescens.
Photo by Paul Francuch
This sequence of images of the North East corner taken by Frank Mayfield in 2008 shows how the vegetation changes changes thru the growing season
Veronicastrum virginicum, Eryngium yuccifolium, (white), Liatris spicata (purple) and Silphium laciniatum and S. terebinthinaceum (yellow).
The prairie in late June. Taken from Interpretation Center roof toward east. Don Gustafson is barefly visible in center of the prairie along the trail.
Fire
Prescribed burning is a process that is essential to maintain prairies in Illinois. Burning is conducted while plants are dormant in either the fall or spring.
Butterflyweed blooms in July. Photo by Don Gustafson.
Dennis Nyberg showing off the May flowers.
Photo by Paul Francuch
The Milwaukee swale, an ephemeral pond, filled to its maximum extent.
Some winters the Milwaukee swale remains dry.
Water in Center swale is visible where a fire break was mowed thru the swale.
In the late summer the prairie is filled with color by flowers.
This sequence of images of the South East corner taken by Frank Mayfield in 2008 shows how the vegetation changes changes thru the growing season