Before this land was taken up for agriculture in the early 1900s, it was a sea of native grasses, scattered with boulders, and the occasional aspen stand. During times of low disturbance from fires and bison, shrubs would have also dotted the grassland.
While the bulk of the land was taken up (cultivated) or sewn to tame grasses for hay, remnants of the original seed bank are still intact.
Through passive restoration, we remove the disturbance of annual cultivation and cutting, allowing the land to regenerate itself.
As a result we are beginning to see the reemergence of native plant species all over the site. Aspen and poplar stands that were stressed during wet years began to send out shoots, some of which have grown upwards of 6-12ft in 5 short years. As the water from the flooded uplands started to dry, a massive willow patch grew which is now a nesting area for several birds species.
Restoring 71 