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.
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.
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.
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.
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.)
