About Prairies

"Prairie" is a French word meaning "grazed meadow" which is what the first Europeans saw when they first discovered the rolling grasslands covered with wildflowers and grazed by thousands of bison, elk, and deer. The prairie once stretched across a million square miles of North America. In the wetter regions, including Illinios, it was known as "tallgrass" because the grasses and forbs grew up to 10 feet in height.

TALLGRASS PRAIRIE

GRAND PRAIRIE

PRAIRIE PLANTS

PRAIRIE ANIMALS

updated: December 19, 2007
www: www.prairienet.org/gpf
email: gpf@prairienet.org