“From Bison to Bread: The American Prairie”

It’s Iowa Prairie Heritage Week! Prairies are ecosystems that are made up of mostly grasses and sedges with other flowering plants called forbs. Prairie is the French word for meadow. Prairie originally covered vast areas of North America, from Canada to Texas and from Indiana to the Rocky Mountains. Today, little original prairie is left in North America. Of the 30 million acres of prairie that once covered Iowa it is estimated that only 0.1% remains. Prairies are a diverse pool of plants species, are habitat for many wildlife species and are a protective buffer for ground and surface water supplies. Use Project WILD’s “From Bison to Bread: The American Prairie” to explore Iowa’s prairies.

Young Child Extension
Start by asking children about prairies. Have they ever been to a prairie? What did it look like? Look at pictures of prairie grasses, plants and wildlife. Read books together about prairies. If possible plan a trip to a local prairie so children can get a hands-on look at a prairie. Try bringing in prairie plants for kids to look at, touch and explore. Contact your local county conservation board for resources, such as naturalist programs and supplies, they are always happy to help! http://www.iowadnr.gov/InsideDNR/AboutDNR/ConservationLawEnforcement/CountyConservationBoards.aspx

Book List
Grades PreK-2
Bannatyne-Cugnet, J. 1992. Prairie Alphabet. Tundra.
Butterfield, M. 1999. Animals on Plains and Prairies. Raintree Publishers.
Cefrey, H. 2003. Grasslands. Rosen Publishing Group, Incorporated.
Chinery, M. 1992. Grassland Animals. Random House Books for Young Readers.
Christiansen, P. and M. Muller. 1999. An Illustrated Guide to Iowa Prairie Plants. Iowa City: University of Iowa Press.
Cole, M.S. 2003. Prairies. Thomson Gale.
Fleming, D. 1991. In the Tall, Tall Grass. Henry Holt and Co.
Fowler, A. 2000. Lands of Grass. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Geisert, A. 1998. Prairie Town. Walter Lorraine Books.
Hirschi, R. 1992. Where Are My Prairie Dogs and Black-Footed Ferrets? Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers.
Hirschi,R. 1989. Who Lives On The Prairie? Putnam Publishing Group.
Howard, F. 2006. Grasslands. ABDO Publishing Company.
Johnson, R.L., P.V. Saroff and G. Braasch. 2000. A Walk in the Prairie. Lerner Publishing Group.
Kirt, R.R. 1995. Prairie Plants of the Midwest: Identification and Ecology. Stipes Publishing, L.L.C.
Ladd, D. 2005. Tallgrass Prairie Wildflowers: A Field Guide to the Common Wildflowers and Plants of the Prairie Midwest. Globe Pequot Press.
Lerner, C. 1980. Seasons of the Tallgrass Prairie. William Morrow & Co Library.
Mader, J. 2004. Living on a Prairie. Scholastic Library Publishing.
McGehee, C. 2004. A Tallgrass Prairie Alphabet. University of Iowa Press.
McMillan, B. 1986. Counting Wildflowers. New York: Lothrop, Lee, & Shepard Books.
Nichols, C. 2002. Grassy Lands. Benchmark Books.
Patent, D.H. 1996. Prairies. Holiday House.
Pattison, D., and K. Rietz. 2011. Prairie Storms. Sylvan Dell Publishing.
Penny, M. 2003. Grasslands. Thameside Press.
Reynolds, M. 1999. Prairie Fire. Orca Book Publishers.
Rowan, J.P. 1983. Prairies and Grasslands. Scholastic Library Publishing.
St. Antoine, S. 2001. Stories from Where We Live -- The Great North American Prairie. Milkweed Editions.
Staub, F. 1993. America's Prairies. Lerner Publishing Group.
Taylor, D. 1992. Endangered Grassland Animals. Crabtree Publishing Company.
Thompson, L. 2004. People of the Plains and Prairies. Rourke Publishing, LLC.
Wallace, M.D. 2001. America's Prairies and Grasslands: Guide to Plants and Animals. Fulcrum Publishing.
Wilder, L. I., and R. Graef. 1900. Prairie Day (My First Little House Books Series). HarperCollins Publishers.
Winner, C. 2004. Prairie Animals. T&N Children's Publishing.

Grades 3-5
Arnold, C. 1993. Through the Year with - Prairie Dogs. Scholastic, Inc.
Bannatyne-Cugnet, J. 2002. Heartland: A Prairie Sampler. Tundra.
Bouchard, D. 1998. If You're Not from the Prairie. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing.
Chinery, M. 1992. Grassland Animals. Random House Books for Young Readers.
Christiansen, P. and M. Muller. 1999. An Illustrated Guide to Iowa Prairie Plants. Iowa City: University of Iowa Press.
Cole, M.S. 2003. Prairies. Thomson Gale.
Cook, K.J. 1993. Disappearing Grasslands. Gareth Stevens Audio.
Dvorak Jr., D. 1994. A Sea of Grass. New York: Macmillan.
Erlic, L. 2005. Grasslands. Weigl Publishers, Incorporated.
George, M. 1994. Prairie. Creative Company.
Gray, S.H. 2000. Grasslands. Capstone Press.
Horton, C. 1982. Grasslands and People. Silver Burdett Press.
Horton, C. 1985. Grasslands. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Jackson, K. and S. Mather. 2006. Explore the Grasslands. Capstone Press.
Johansson, P. 2004. Wide Open Grasslands: A Web of Life. Enslow Publishers, Incorporated.
Johnson, R.L., P.V. Saroff and G. Braasch. 2000. A Walk in the Prairie. Lerner Publishing Group.
Johnson, S.A. 1976. Animals of the Grasslands. Lerner Publishing Group.
Khanduri, K. 1994. Grassland Wildlife. EDC Publishing.
Kirt, R.R. 1995. Prairie Plants of the Midwest: Identification and Ecology. Stipes Publishing, L.L.C.
Ladd, D. 2005. Tallgrass Prairie Wildflowers: A Field Guide to the Common Wildflowers and Plants of the Prairie Midwest. Globe Pequot Press.
Lambert, D. 1988. Grasslands. Silver Burdett Press.
Langley, A. 1993. Grasslands. Reader's Digest Children's Publishing, Incorporated.
Levy, J. 2003. What Lives on a Prairie? Rosen Publishing Group, Incorporated.
Lynch, W. and A. Lang. 2006. Prairie Grasslands. T&N Children's Publishing.
Patent, D.H. 1996. Prairies. Holiday House.
Patent, D.H. 1998. Fire: Friend or Foe. Clarion Books.
Patent, D.H. 2003. Life in a Grassland. Lerner Publishing Group.
Pattison, D., and K. Rietz. 2011. Prairie Storms. Sylvan Dell Publishing.
Pipes, R. 1998. Grasslands. Raintree Publishers.
Savage, S. 1997. Animals of the Grasslands. Raintree Publishers.
St. Antoine, S. 2001. Stories from Where We Live -- The Great North American Prairie. Milkweed Editions.
Staub, F. 1993. America's Prairies. Lerner Publishing Group.
Steele, P. 1997. Grasslands. Lerner Publishing Group.
Stille, D.R. 1998. Grasslands. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Stone, L.M. 2004. Grasslands. Rourke Publishing, LLC.
Thompson, L. 2004. People of the Plains and Prairies. Rourke Publishing, LLC.
Wallace, M.D. 2001. America's Prairies and Grasslands: Guide to Plants and Animals. Fulcrum Publishing.
Wilder, L. I., and R. Graef. 1900. Prairie Day (My First Little House Books Series). HarperCollins Publishers.
Winner, C. 2004. Prairie Animals. T&N Children's Publishing.

Grades 6-8
Busch, P.S. 1977. Wildflowers and the Stories Behind Their Names. Charles Scribner & Sons.
Christiansen, P. and M. Muller. 1999. An Illustrated Guide to Iowa Prairie Plants. Iowa City: University of Iowa Press.
Collard, S.B. 2005. Prairie Builders: Reconstructing America’s Lost Grasslands. Houghton Mifflin.
Hoare, B. 2003. Temperate Grasslands. Raintree Publishers.
Kirt, R.R. 1995. Prairie Plants of the Midwest: Identification and Ecology. Stipes Publishing, L.L.C.
Ladd, D. 2005. Tallgrass Prairie Wildflowers: A Field Guide to the Common Wildflowers and Plants of the Prairie Midwest. Globe Pequot Press.
Lerner, C. 1980. Seasons of the Tallgrass Prairie. New York: William Morrow and Company.
Murray, P. 1997. Prairies: Biomes of Nature. The Child' World Inc.
Ricciuti, E.R. 1996. Grassland. Marshall Cavendish Inc.
Rotter, C. 2002. The Prairie. Creative Company.
Runkel, S. and D.M. Roosa. 1989. Wildflowers of the Tallgrass Prairie. Ames: Iowa State University Press.
Schwarm, L. 2003. On Fire. Duke Un Mentary.
Scullin, W.M. 2005. Young Person's Guide to the Prairie. South River Press.
Siy, A. 1991. Native Grasslands. Silver Burdett Press.
Stone, L.M. 1989. Prairies. Rourke Enterprises, Incorporated.
Tarbox, A. D. 2011. A Prairie Food Chain. The Creative Company.
Toupin, L.P. 2005. Life in the Temperate Grasslands. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Vyn, K. 1978. The Prairie Community. New York: Julian Messener.

Grades 9-12
Boon, W. and H. Groe. 1990. Nature's Heartland: Native Plant Communities of the Great Plains. Ames:
Brown, L. 1979. Grasses: An Identification Guide. Houghton Mifflin Co.
Christiansen, P. and M. Muller. 1999. An Illustrated Guide to Iowa Prairie Plants. Iowa City: University of Iowa Press.
Collard, S. B. 2005. The Prairie Builders : Reconstructing America's Lost Grasslands. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company Trade & Reference Division.
Edsall, M.S. 1985. Roadside Plants and Flowers. Madison: The University of Wisconsin Press.
Forey, P. and C. Fitzsimons. 1992. Instant Guide to Wildflowers. Random House Value Publishing, Incorporated.
Johnsgard, P.A. 2001. Prairie Birds: Fragile Splendor in the Great Plains. University Press of Kansas.
Johnsgard, P.A. 2005. Prairie Dog Empire: A Saga of the Shortgrass Prairie. University of Nebraska Press.
Kindscher, K. 1992. Medicinal Wild Plants of the Prairie: An Ethnobotanical Guide. University Press of Kansas.
Kirt, R.R. 1995. Prairie Plants of the Midwest: Identification and Ecology. Stipes Publishing, L.L.C.
Kurtz, C. 1996. Iowa's Wild Places. Ames: Iowa State University Press.
Ladd, D. 2005. Tallgrass Prairie Wildflowers: A Field Guide to the Common Wildflowers and Plants of the Prairie Midwest. Globe Pequot Press.
Madson, J. 1994. Where the Sky Began: Land of the Tallgrass Prairie. Iowa City: University of Iowa Press.
Madson, J. 2005. The Elemental Prairie: Sixty Tallgrass Plants. University of Iowa Press.
Manning, R. 1997. Grassland: The History, Biology, Politics, and Promise of the American Prairie. Penguin Group.
Moul, F. 2006. The National Grasslands: A Guide to America's Undiscovered Treasures. University of Nebraska Press.
Muller, M. 2000. Prairie in Your Pocket: A Guide to Plants of the Tallgrass Prairie. University of Iowa Press.
Packard, S. 2005. Tallgrass Restoration Handbook: For Prairies, Savannas, and Woodlands. Island Press.
Peterson, R.T. and M. McKenny.1968. A Field Guide to the Wildflowers: Northeastern and North-Central North America. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company.
Sherow, J.E. 2007. The Grasslands of the United States: An Environmental History. ABC-CLIO, Incorporated.
Shirley, S.1994. Restoring the Tallgrass Prairie : An Illustrated Manual for Iowa and the Upper Midwest. New York: University of Iowa P.
Smith, J. R., and Smith, B. S. 1980. A Prairie Garden : Seventy Native Plants You Can Grow in Town or Country. New York: University of Wisconsin P.
Thompson, J.R. 1992. Prairies, Forests and Wetlands: The Restoration of Natural Landscape Communities in Iowa. University of Iowa Press.
Waterlow, J. 1996. Grasslands. Raintree Publishers.

Links
ISU Extension: Iowa Prairies
http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/IAN203.pdf

What is a Prairie?
http://dnr.wi.gov/org/caer/ce/eek/nature/habitat/whatprai.htm

IDNR: Iowa County Conservation Boards
http://www.iowadnr.gov/InsideDNR/AboutDNR/ConservationLawEnforcement/CountyConservationBoards.aspx

Iowa Prairie Network
http://www.iowaprairienetwork.org/

INPS Website Calendar
http://www.public.iastate.edu/~herbarium/inps/index.php