Through the log cabin window of Karl August & Karolina Svensson (ca. 1871), Lincoln County, SD, with Iowa in the distance.
Protected north slope with springs, profuse with purple meadow rue and cup plant. This area was last burned in 2005.
Two-foot high specimen of big bluestem, June 16, 2007, burned over on April 28, 2007.
Mowed firebreak separates unburned prairie on immediate left, with obvious infestation of brome, from spring burn area on distant right, with cornfield in center distance, backed by ridge of scrub oak and Iowa beyond.
General view of Lincoln County prairie mid-June, burned late April. Clump appearance of grass is a native prairie grass, predominately big bluestem with several others present.
Hillside of native prairie in restoration, burned April 29, 2007, heads of purple coneflowers forming up, mid-June.
Thimbleflower, late June 2007
Maturing purple coneflowers, late June 2007.
September 2007
Downy Gentian, one of the last native flowers to bloom in the fall. This specimen grew back from original rootstocks, having survived nine decades of grazing horses and thistle pressure.
October 2007
View of re-planted native grass, en route (hopefully) to a prairie –
until 1998, this was a yellow-clay hillside site, tilled annually for
row crops. Indiangrass is prominent in this view.