Ames Prairies, less work, more resilience

Living in Iowa, one eventually gets prairie on the mind and right here in Ames, one can find tastes of prairie.

You might ask, “Why are they growing those weeds here in town?”, but when you do some reading about them, you learn that prairies are complex communities of plants and animals that are strong and resilient because of their diversity. Across from the the Memorial Union today I walked along the suggestion of prairie in the landscaping of St. Thomas Aquinas church.

I love their rose covered arbors too. While others around campus are frantically trying to keep up with the grass mowing, those with areas of prairie are spending time contemplating the butterflies and bees. And when summer turns up the heat and the monoculture grass dies down to an ugly brown, something in the prairie diversity will thrive and keep it green and alive.