Glacial Deposits.indd - Department of Geography - Geology - Illinois ...

The mind’s eye sees the prairie in years to come: gently nodding rye, heavily seeded Indian
grass, and the spreading fingers of little bluestem, shooting up among the bright yellows of
compass plants, cup plants, stiff goldenrod, and black-eyed susans, tempered by the sweeter
yellow of partridge pea, the lavenders of blazing stars and showy tick trefoil, the white globes of
bundle flower, the pinks and purples of foxglove, the branching blooms of silky prairie clover, the
prickly balls of rattlesnake master, and the reds and purples of bee balm. The prairie will hum
with life, from the insects feeding on bud, leaf, and nectar, to the mice who scratch and run in
tunnels among the grasses and the coyotes who pounce upon the less vigilant ones. It will sing
with the trills of meadowlarks and the melodies of bluebirds and song sparrows. Pheasants will
wander the perimeters and red-winged blackbirds will bow the seed heads as they stake their
territorial claims. The winds will whip the prairie to a frenzy and cool rains will quench the
ground. The seasons will change, the prairie will grow, and Morgan will have the gift to Earth he
has so wanted.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Ellen Dietz has authored numerous items for Glacial Deposits. She works as
a grant writer for Project Oz in Bloomington and holds the master’s in Geography from Illinois
State. Ellen is an avid nature observer and photographer. See the inside front cover for some of
her photography.
Morgan Prairie came into existence at the end of May 2009, as Tim Bailey
(left) used a small Case IH tractor and a Truax seed drill to plant the
grasses and flowers. Truax Manufacturing features three charging bison
as its company logo, hence the Bison nickname for its products. Bill
Morgan is between tractor and drill. They borrowed the drill from the
Normal office of the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
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