Rogersville
Rogersville Prairie grass seed head
Tallgrass Prairie: Remnants of an Earlier Age
Written By: Ed Pope
Date Published: September 22, 2020
Ed Pope
Part of a series on CILTI’s conservation targets by guest blogger Ed Pope
Most Hoosiers think of the Great Plains when they hear the word prairie. Actually, about 13% of Indiana was prairie prior to the arrival of Europeans, mostly in the northwest part of the state.
Prairies are dominated by grasses. Trees do not predominate because of insufficient rain, frequent fire, grazing animals or periodic flooding. Fires could be naturally occurring from lightning strikes or set intentionally by Native Americans to improve hunting. Grass, which has much of its biomass below ground, is much hardier. Some prairie grasses’ roots can grow up to 20 feet deep. When Europeans first moved into the prairies of the Great Plains, there was little wood available to build homes. Some used sod, which was held together by these deep roots, to build their houses.
Prairies are technically defined as grasslands that are less than 5 to 10% covered by trees. There are three types of prairies: tallgrass, shortgrass and mixed. Those with good soil and sufficient rainfall are tallgrass prairies. Tallgrass prairies made excellent farmland, but they couldn’t be tilled easily with the cast iron or wooden plows of early settlers. John Deere, an Illinois blacksmith, solved this problem when he developed the first steel plow in 1837. In Indiana, the few remnants of tallgrass prairie that escaped the plow are mostly around cemeteries and railroads.
Tallgrass prairies can harbor an amazing diversity of plants. There is a small preserve in Lake County called the German Methodist Cemetery Preserve, protected by The Nature Conservancy. It is only 2.7 acres in size but it includes one acre that has never been plowed. This tiny preserve has over 200 different species of native plants. It sometimes called “Indiana’s most diverse acre.”
Tallgrass prairie remnants are part of three core conservation areas of Central Indiana:
- Indian Prairie (Tipton and Clinton counties): This parcel lies along a railroad.
- Rogersville Prairie (Henry County): A portion of this area, Rogersville Cemetery, has been managed by CILTI since 1991. It was our very first project. Here’s a link to a scientific paper about the plants there.
- Smith Prairie (Vermillion County): The one-acre Smith Cemetery Nature Preserve (which rivals any other remnant prairie site in Indiana) was state dedicated in 1997 and is stewarded by the DNR Division of Nature Preserves.
Only Smith Prairie is currently protected. CILTI’s goal is to protect these prairie remnants and restore adjacent lands to tallgrass prairie.
Ben Valentine
Guest Blogger
Ben Valentine is a founding member of the Friends of Marott Woods Nature Preserve and is active in several other conservation organizations. He leads a series of NUVO interviews with Indiana's environmental leaders, and he cherishes showing his son all the wonders of nature he grew up loving.
DJ Connors
Guest Blogger
DJ Connors, a Central Indiana native and late-to-life hunter, combines a lifelong appreciation for wildlife and the outdoors with a deep passion for exploring the natural beauty of the area he has called home for most of his life. As a husband and father of three, he is committed to ensuring his children have the same opportunities to connect with nature and appreciate the outdoors in their community. DJ’s unique journey into hunting emphasizes sustainability, responsible stewardship, and the importance of preserving these experiences for future generations.
Bridget Walls
Guest Blogger
Bridget is our first ever Communications and Outreach Intern. She is a graduate of Marian University, where she combined English, studio art, and environmental sciences in her degree studies. As treasurer for Just Earth, the university's environmental club, she helped plan events encouraging a responsible relationship between people, nature, and animals.
Jordan England
Guest Blogger
Jordan England is a lifelong Shelby County resident who graduated from Waldron Jr. Sr. High School (just a few miles from Meltzer Woods!). After earning her B.S. degree in Retail Management from Purdue University, she returned to Waldron to start a family with her husband, Brian. Together they have 3 young children and enjoy sharing with them their love of the community. Jordan is the Grants and Nonprofit Relations Director at Blue River Community Foundation, managing BRCF’s grant program, providing support to local nonprofits, and promoting catalytic philanthropy in Shelby County.
Cliff Chapman
President and CEO
As CILTI’s President and CEO, Cliff keeps CILTI’s focus on good science and stewardship. He’s mindful that the natural places you love took thousands of years to evolve and could be destroyed in a single day, and that knowledge drives his dedication to their protection.
Stacy Cachules
Chief Operating Officer
Among her many key duties as Assistant Director, Stacy has the critical task of tracking our budget, making sure we channel donations for maximum efficiency. When her workday’s done, Stacy loves to spend time with her two young boys—and when not traveling, she’s likely planning the next travel adventure.
Ryan Fuhrmann
Vice Chair
Ryan C. Fuhrmann, CFA, is President and founder of Fuhrmann Capital LLC, an Indiana-based investment management firm focused on portfolio management. Ryan’s interest in land conservation centers around a desire to help preserve natural habitats for wildlife and the subsequent benefits it brings to people and the environment.
Joanna Nixon
Board Member
Joanna Nixon is the owner of Nixon Consulting, an Indianapolis-based strategy and project management firm focused on the nonprofit sector. She currently serves as the Philanthropic Advisor for the Efroymson Family Fund. Prior to opening her consulting practice in 2000, Joanna was vice-president for grantmaking at Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF). Joanna has more than 25 years of experience in the nonprofit and arts and culture sector. She is passionate about the environment and loves bringing big ideas to life and creating high-quality arts and culture programs and experiences. Joanna enjoys outdoor adventures, including competing in fitness obstacle course races and hiking with her high energy Australian Cattle Dog, Jackson.
Karen Wade
Board Member
Before retiring, CILTI board member Karen Wade worked for Eli Lilly & Co. In retirement she volunteers for a number of organizations, including the Indiana Master Naturalist program, Johnson County Native Plant Partnership CISMA, Meadowstone Therapeutic Riding Center, and Leadership Johnson County.
David Barickman
Development Systems Manager
Born and raised in Central Illinois, David spent many days as a child wandering around the river, forest and lakes there. He works behind the scenes as a key member of our fundraising team. When not working, David loves to be outdoors hiking, fly fishing, kayaking or woodworking.
Jamison Hutchins
Stewardship Director
Jamison leads our stewardship team in caring for the land that is so important to you. He comes to our team after eight years as Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator for the city of Indianapolis, where his work had a positive impact from both health and environmental perspectives.
Jen Schmits Thomas
Media Relations
An award-winning communicator and recognized leader in Central Indiana’s public relations community, Jen helps us tell our story in the media. She is the founder of JTPR, which she and her husband John Thomas own together. She is accredited in public relations (APR) from the Public Relations Society of America, and loves to camp and hike in perfect weather conditions.
Shawndra Miller
Communications Director
Shawndra’s earliest writing projects centered around the natural world, starting when a bird inspired her to write her first “book” in elementary school. Now she is in charge of sharing our story and connecting you to our work. Through our print and online materials, she hopes to inspire your participation in protecting special places for future generations.
Phillip Weldy
Stewardship Specialist
Phillip enjoys nature’s wonders from an up-close-and-personal perspective as he works to restore the natural places you love. As an AmeriCorps member in Asheville, NC, he had his first full immersion in relatively undisturbed land while reconstructing wilderness trails in National Parks and National Forests.
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