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Wachiska Prairies
Chapter Plays Major Role in Tallgrass Prairie Preservation in
Southeast Nebraska
Wachiska's On-going Dedication
to Prairie Preservation:
The tallgrass prairie was the landscape that greeted the pioneers, but today less than 2% of the tallgrass prairie remains. Wachiska Audubon Society has
set a goal to preserve an educational prairie in each of
the 17 southeastern Nebraska counties that are in its membership
area.
Do you own or manage a native
prairie pasture in Southeast Nebraska? or a virgin hay meadow?
These remnants of our natural heritage are dwindling due
to attractive commodity prices and the shortage of feed for
livestock. If you would like to make sure your native hay
land or pasture is maintained for future generations, Wachiska
Audubon would like to help you.
As a nonprofit conservation
education organization, Wachiska is dedicated to protecting
native grasslands in Southeast Nebraska. One of the tools
available to landowners is a conservation easement. These
are flexible agreements between Wachiska and an interested
landowner to maintain the grassland in perpetuity. Wachiska maintains easements in 14 counties from Richardson to Fillore
to Saunders. There may be one near you.
An easement does not interfere
with farming operations. It just protects the grassland from
conversion to cropland or development. In select situations,
Wachiska has purchased native grasslands and managed them
for agricultural and habitat production. If you or someone
you know would be interested in protecting native grassland,
contact Don Pepperl at 402-483-4361 or
Ernie Rousek at 488-9032 or the Wachiska office.
If you'd like to see what a conservation easement looks like
in your area, let us know and we will put you in contact
with one of our conservation partners.
Below:
Western Prairie
Fringed Orchid, Platanthera praeclara
A threatened species
(Photo: Linda R. Brown)
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