Ona's Prairie

This natural community was given to Powell Gardens for education and research in late 2019 due to a bequest from Ona Gieschen, a traveler, naturalist, and amateur historian. Powell Gardens, with the partnership of conservation organizations and adjacent landowners, is actively managing this natural community to ensure its conservation for years to come.

Temperate grasslands, such as prairies, are North America’s most endangered ecosystem. In Missouri alone, 15 million acres of natural prairie once flourished, and now less than half of one percent remains.

The once-expansive prairie community is an open landscape characterized by less than 10% canopy cover and dependent on disturbances such as fire and grazing. Prairies are robust, and diverse ecosystems dominated by grasses and forbs; over 800 plant species can be found on prairies in Missouri along with an abundance of animals.

Within Ona’s Prairie, one may encounter the Regal Fritilary (Speyeria idalia), a butterfly of conservation concern, along with numerous conservative plant species. Ona’s Prairie is one invaluable contributor to the greater conservation of tallgrass prairies.