At Shaw Nature Reserve

Learn pioneer ways at 2008 Prairie Day

Every other year, the Shaw Nature Reserve holds a Prairie Day celebration. That's a time for kids and their families to learn about what rural Missouri was like in the pioneer days.

The 2008 Prairie Day will be Saturday, Sept. 20, at the Shaw Nature Reserve at Gray Summit, MO. Hours on the 2,400-acre nature site will be 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

There is a $3 admission charge but kids 12 and under are admitted free.

Normally, the reserve features paved or graveled paths that allow visitors to move through native prairie and woodland and near streams as they were in the days before massive urban development.

On Prairie Day, there will be plenty of make-believe settlers and Indians demonstrating things they did to make a life on the frontier. There's also an authentic sod cabin and an Indian teepee.

Authentic sod hut with teepee in background

For the kids, there will be a chance to play pioneer games. Musicians using authentic instruments will serenade visitors with tunes of the frontier.

Barb Troutman is the special projects coordinator for the Shaw Nature Reserve. She said Prairie Day is held every-other-year to give new visitors a regular chance to experience life as lived in pioneer times.

Reenactors playing pioneer instruments

Many of the demonstrations and displays at Prairie Day will be held in the Reserve's 250-acre tall grass prairie.

There will be parking nearby. There will be a weaver, a spinner, a blacksmith, a candle maker and a person who can make dyes from natural plants. In some cases, such as with the candle maker, kids will be able to try their hand at the old crafts.

Children also will be able to ride small horses or check out mammals, reptiles, amphibians and insects on display.

An archeologist will help visitors to understand the underlying rock and soils. There also will be a collection of flints on display.

Making pioneer and Indian jewelry

Of course, there is food and refreshments. Included are bison burgers, homemade baked goods and kettle corn.

Native wildflowers and grass plants and seeds are available for purchase.

The Shaw Nature Reserve itself has an interesting history. Henry Shaw was concerned that heavy smog in the City of St. Louis would eventually damage plants at his Missouri Botanical Garden.

In 1925, he purchased five farms in rural areas some 40 miles west of the Botanical Garden where the air was cleaner. This was to provide a safe haven for native plants, such as the Garden's renowned orchid collections.

Hand-dipping wax candles

Much of the territory borders the Meramec River and provides an outstanding mixture of bottomland, rolling prairie and dense forest land.

As the Reserve developed, a determined effort was made to re-plant the acres with trees, plants and grasses that were native to Missouri when the pioneers first came to the area.

Several years ago, Young Saint Louis.com interviewed a group of kids from the City of St. Louis. As one of the boys was following one of the walking trails, he said, "You know, this is the first time I've ever been on a prairie or in a forest."

Here's a rundown of some of the regular features you and your family might like to explore on your own: (You can pick up a brochure that features a detailed map and descriptions of the features.)

For more information, call (636) 451-3512 or visit www.shawnature.org.