Reply To: Educational Prairie for High School

right, Jordan hit it, Benjamin..

first step, survey (informally – walk it out with a gridded paper) the site, and figure out as many of the existing conditions you can. (how many and what kinds of plants, rocks, water, slope..just go for it..)

While you are doing that, you are thinking about what you want to do, what image is in your head for the final experience..A sitting experience, watching the world go by? A learning walk? both..? whatever..It helps a lot (I think) to be looking through books of pictures, to give you examples your brain can work with..Besides, doing that is really fun.

Next, draw on top of your existing conditions maps, plans for what you want the thing to be. be loose. Use colored markers. Have fun.

you can even stop there..

Remember, if you want to re-create a prairie (google that, it has been done quite often, you can find concrete recipes for putting together a prairie, I am sure), you need to really work up the soil matrix, and the drainage, before you even think about plants, altho one springs from the other, so to speak..It is not easy..The prairies took thousands of years to form their incredibly deep soils..

and finally, take a few moments, every day, to pay homage to the earth, because that is what it is all about, ultimately..I just mean think about it, every day, for a few minutes..IMHO!