With trees planted in the center the prairie wraps around the acre of land it sits on. Signage is posted around the prairie with additional information available for the curious. PHOTO BY JONATHAN MEYER

Buds and blossoms, nature and wildlife, the South Tama Prairie draws in all elements of the outdoors. Established in 2021 after Denise Fletcher was awarded $1,500 of prairie grass seed, the prairie is currently thriving and in bloom just south of the elementary school.

The last few years have included a lot of hand weeding for Denise. Eliminating thistles, pigweed, prickly lettuce, and many other weeds are key to getting the area off on the right foot.

Taking the prairie a quarter at a time, Denise pulls weeds. Earlier this year she would spend an hour and a half in the morning and an hour and a half in the evening, a true time commitment.

One of the pitfalls of being an outdoor edition to our community, she has no idea how many people use the area she has worked so hard on. Fletcher encourages trail goers, curious folks, and nature enthusiasts alike to utilize the beautiful area. Some recommended activities in the prairie are as follows: reading, stargazing, nature identification, meditation, even simply walking through.

The STC Community Garden group recently released butterflies in the prairie area. These natural areas used to cover a majority of our state but now only account for 0.01% of the total land in Iowa. Along with being an aesthetically pleasing element of the community, the area has genuine benefits. From reducing carbon, soaking up flood water more effectively, and giving wildlife a habitat, the prairie is already reaping benefits.

Pictured is the on lookers for the butterfly release in the center of the prairie area. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Some special thank you’s go out to several people who have contributed to the South Tama Prairie. Larry Fletcher, Allie Barth, Melody Bro, Andy Moran, Jan Wobeter, and the entire school district.

When asked why she spends so much time on the prairie project Denise simply smiled and said.

“With my personality I just have to be outside, it’s a perfect fit for me, I love it!”