Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie |
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 Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie
Location in Illinois
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| Location | Will County, Illinois, United States |
| Nearest city | Wilmington |
| Area | 18,226 acres (73.76 km2) |
| Established | 1996 |
| Governing body | U.S. Forest Service |
The Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie (MNTP) is a special nature area in Illinois, managed by the United States Forest Service. It's a place where you can find tallgrass prairie, a type of grassland with very tall grasses. Midewin was the first national tallgrass prairie ever created in the United States.
This large conservation area is located in northeastern Illinois. It sits on land that used to be a military factory called the Joliet Army Ammunition Plant. Since 2015, Midewin has been home to a group of American bison. Scientists study how these amazing animals help the prairie grow and stay healthy.
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What is Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie?
Midewin is a huge protected area covering about 20,000 acres (over 8,000 hectares). It's a very important place for nature because tallgrass prairies are quite rare, especially east of the Mississippi River. This prairie is part of a larger network of protected lands, making it a key spot for wildlife.
Before European settlers arrived, most of this land was covered in prairie. Some areas along creeks were forests. Today, many groups work together to restore Midewin. They help bring back the original tallgrass prairie, along with other important habitats like wetlands.
How Midewin Was Created
The name Midewin (pronounced mi-DAY-win) comes from the Potawatomi language. It refers to the tribe's healers, who helped keep their society in balance. Long ago, around the year 1600, a village from the Oneota culture existed on this land.
Becoming a National Prairie
The Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie was officially created by a federal law in 1996. This law transferred about 19,165 acres of land from the United States Army to the United States Department of Agriculture's Forest Service.
The law set four main goals for Midewin:
- To protect and improve the native fish, wildlife, and plants.
- To offer chances for learning and research about nature and land use.
- To allow farming to continue for a while, or other uses that help the land.
- To provide fun outdoor activities that fit with protecting nature.
Land Transfers and Growth
The first part of the land was transferred from the Army to the Forest Service in 1997. This first transfer included about 15,080 acres. Since then, more land has been added. Today, Midewin is about 20,000 acres in size.
Bison at Midewin
In 2015, Midewin started a special project. They set aside 1,200 acres for a group of American bison. This is a 20-year plan to study how these large grazing animals, which once almost disappeared, help the prairie become healthy again.
In October 2015, 27 bison were brought to Midewin. Four male bison came from Colorado, and 23 female bison came from a ranch in South Dakota. This was the first project of its kind for the U.S. Forest Service. By the spring of 2017, the herd had grown to about 50 bison, thanks to new births!
Visiting Midewin
After a lot of hard work to restore the land, parts of Midewin opened to visitors in 2004. Today, over 7,000 acres are open for people to explore. You can enjoy trails for walking, biking, and other activities that don't use motors.
The main entrance and visitor center for Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie are located on Illinois Route 53. This is near the middle of the preserve.
Images for kids
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Tallgrass prairie and woodlands
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Flora of the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie
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MNTP entrance
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Bison at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie in June 2016
