ABOUT US
Grand Prairie Friends is a volunteer-led, not-for-profit, conservation organization and land trust composed of people from many walks of life who share a commitment to preserve and restore tallgrass prairie and woodlands in east-central Illinois.
THE GRAND PRAIRIE
The lush tallgrass prairie that covered Central Illinois was called the Grand Prairie. At its peak, it sustained more than 300 species of plants, 60 species of mammals, 300 species of birds, and well over 1000 kinds of insects. Among swaying grasses grew wildflowers that bloomed from spring until fall in a succession of brilliant colors.
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The Grand Prairie thrived for 8000 years and adapted to survive steaming summers, bitter winters, severe drought, and raging fire. In the process of growing, the plants and animals helped to create some of the most fertile soils in the world. With the advent of settlers and the invention of the steel plow, the grasslands were plowed under and transformed into farm fields. As recently as the 1820s, prairie covered about 22 million acres in Illinois. Today, less than 2500 acres of high-quality prairie remain, over 99% having been lost to plowing and paving. Our once vast prairie exists now mainly in scattered remnants, often found in pioneer cemeteries, along railroad rights-of-way, and on steep bluffs high above rivers.
WHAT WE DO
GPF was formed in 1984, when a group of citizens from Champaign-Urbana, IL, joined together with a commitment to preserve and restore tallgrass prairie in East-Central Illinois. In addition to prairie preservation, we also practice prairie reconstruction and community education while fostering community partnerships.
