The BGSU Native Prairie Garden

What is a Prairie?

A “prairie” is far from a barren wasteland of what it may appear to be, but instead is a unique grassland with complex ecosystems and incredible environmental adaptations. Prairies are well-adapted to the climate of the continental interior, able to withstand droughts, seasonal weather, and harsh climates. The abundant grasses within prairies allows for these environments to thrive, as the different species of grasses provide food and a habitat for the hundreds of animal species that call a prairie, home.

The United States is divided into three distinct types of prairies: the eastern tall grasses, the central mixed grasses, and the western short grasses, all with their own species and specializations. Ohio falls into the moister, eastern tall grasses, and thus has plant species that grow well towards the end of summer and into autumn when there is more water and sunlight. These plant species include the big bluestem and Indian grass. It may not seem that Ohio is thought of as a prairie state, but, in fact, has historic roots of a prairie presence due to its particular fluctuating temperature and dominance of different grasses. In the 1800s, around 5% of Ohioan land was prairie, but quickly rather were turned into farmland as colonization occured.

Prairies are oddly dependent upon fire, which helps burn layers of old grassland to allow new plants and grasses to grow. The burning of older plant material allows water and sunlight to reach new grasses that are on the soil floor. Fire is unable to reach the root systems of the grasses and other plants, as they are beneath the ground level, which is integral to allow them to continue to survive and spurt.  

All three of Bowling Green State University's prairies represents BGSU's continued commitment to a sustainable campus.

The Shatzel Hall Native Prairie Garden

All of the plants in this area are remnants of native species that grew in Wood County before European settlement. They are well adapted to the soil, weather and seasons of Northwest Ohio. The native plants thrive in this environment, as they are tolerant to both droughts and extreme, fluctuating temperatures. With needing little to no water and care, they are the utmost sustainable plants that live very well in their own control.

The Shatzel Hall Native Prairie Garden includes the following Ohio native plant species:

Poe Prairie

Poe Prairie (near the intersection of Poe and Mercer Road) was established as a butterfly and prairie habitat around 1998. The initial planting of native species took place in the early 2000s. Students during that time were invited to spread seeds by hand when it was first begun, resulting in the native species that have grown today. The seeds were collected from local, Wood County, roadside ditches that still had remnant pieces of native prairie habitat long before. Aerial photos back to 1998 show that the woods to the north of the existing prairie have existed since then, but the land currently known as the Butterfly Habitat was farmed prior to 2002. Ever since the property was established as a native prairie, it has been managed by the Department of the Environment and Sustainability, transitioning into the School of Earth, Environment, and Society (SEES), with the support of Campus Operations at Bowling Green State University.

Part of what is now Poe Prairie was used as a construction dump by the university before its transition into a preserved prairie. Students and staff cleared the construction debris and coordinated clean-ups to turn the land into what it is today.