Welcome to the South Fork Prairie website. The purpose of this site is to document the ongoing restoration of a small Missouri tallgrass prairie remnant.

The Plant List is a searchable list of the plants documented on the prairie so far. The Glade page describes a glade just north of South Fork Prairie. The Thanks page is our way of acknowledging the many individuals and organizations that have provided assistance in restoring South Fork Prairie. The Links page has hyperlinks to related web sites. Lastly, the About Us page contains a little personal information about the current owners of South Fork Prairie and this website.

Located in Cass County, Missouri, South Fork is one of only a handful of true prairie remnants in the area. It is documented in Missouri Department of Conservation's Natural History Database as an "area of statewide significance." Cass County is thought to have been made up of over 70% tall grass prairie at one time. Now however, only a few of these undisturbed little ecosystems remain.

Untouched by plow or till,the prairie evolved naturally over time. Native plants flourished in conditions ideally suited to their unique needs. Birds, mammals, insects and reptiles also thrived under these pristine conditions. The prairie supports a large and diverse population of wildlife, due to the lack of any chemical or mechanical influence on its soil.

For hundreds of years, this tiny remnant has stubbornly held onto its natural character. In pre-settlement times, cycles of rain, drought, fire and grazing buffalo shaped its biological blueprint. Today, it's a kind of small, living history museum, a little snapshot of the American landscape from long ago.

In the spring, Wild Blue Indigo, Missouri Evening Primrose and Butterfly Weed are just some of the flowers that illuminate the prairie with color. Summer brings clusters of Compass Plant, Willow Leaved Sunflower, Rattlesnake Master and Pale Purple Coneflower. As autumn approaches, the native grasses grow tall and elegant. They wave golden, seed swollen fronds against pink September skies. Each season strives to surpass the last in its own display of natural loveliness.