Summer 2007: Volume 28, Number 3 - Missouri Prairie Foundation

Kenrick purchased and dedicated this land to anew cemetery. The existing prairie remnant isnear the grave of St. Louis co-founder AugusteChouteau. Other notable St. Louisans buried atCalvary include Dred Scott, General William T.Sherman, the writers Tennessee Williams andKate Chopin, and Surveyor General AntoineSoulard.“The Archdiocese has agreed to protectand set aside this prairie remnant for the next100 years to allow for the management of thissignificant piece of prairie,” said Msg. RobertMcCarthy, the archdiocese’s cemeteries director.“This is an opportunity to preserve one of thejewels in the St. Louis landscape and include ourlocal community in this collaborative effort tocelebrate and learn from this unique find.”While 130 species of native flowering plantshave been identified in the prairie, the remnantis severely deteriorated, according to Doug Ladd,director of conservation science for the Missourichapter of The Nature Conservancy. Exotic speciesinfestation, encroachment of woody vegetation,fire suppression and past land-use historyhave all taken their toll on the prairie.Members of the Calvary Cemetery PrairiePartnership are working to protect, restore andsustain this prairie remnant. In the fall of 2005,native grass seeds were harvested at the site andplanted this past June. The Nature Conservancy,one of the partners in the project, is monitoringprogress of the restoration, and, along withthe Missouri Department of Conservation, willconduct prescribed burns of the prairie. TheMissouri Botanical Garden is providing scientificexpertise and the facilities for the cultivation ofnative plants. The Green Center of UniversityCity will lead community outreach and educationprograms and provide leadership in coordinatingcommunity volunteers for conservation activities.Adapted from a January 31, 2006 MissouriBotanical Garden press releaseLocation and directions: Calvary Cemetery is locatedat 5239 W. Florissant Avenue, St. Louis. To reachthe cemetery by car from downtown St. Louis,take I-70 west to the W. Florissant exit (Exit 245B).Merge onto W. Florissant and proceed 0.9 milesto the entrance to the cemetery. The cemeterygates are open daily 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Inquireat the cemetery office for directions to the prairie.Cemetery office telephone number: 314-381-1313.Howell Prairie at the Weldon Spring SiteIn 2003, the U.S. Department of Energy planted150 acres with native prairie species at WeldonSpring in St. Charles County around a 70-foothighrock-covered radioactive waste repository.Referred to as the “Weldon Spring DisposalCell,” the repository or mound stores wastes createdwhen the area was used in the 1940s, ’50sand ’60s first for producing explosives and laterfor processing uranium ore concentrates.Called Howell Prairie in recognition of thelarge presettlement prairie that once existed inthe area (6,400 acres—10 square miles), theconstructed grassland is open to the public fromdawn to dusk and may be viewed from a milelongtrail around the mound, or from atop themound. Also open to the public is a five-acreinterpretive garden composed of prairie plantsand native trees and shrubs, and an interpretivecenter that presents exhibits and information onthe history of the site.In April 2006, the Hamburg Trail, a 10-milerecreational path running through the area, wasdedicated. The trail connects the KATY Trail andBusch Conservation Area and is open to pedestriansand bicyclists.Bill Davit, MPF board member andHowell Prairie Council memberLocation and directions: 7295 Highway 94 South,St. Charles, MO 63303. From Hwy. 40/64 or Hwy.70, exit at Hwy. 94 and continue south to just pastHwy. D. Telephone: 636-441-8066.U.S. Dept. of EnergyThe prairie at CalvaryCemetery, lower photo,facing page, is perhapsthe St. Louis area’sonly remaining tract oforiginal prairie withinthe I-270 corridor. Incontrast, the HowellPrairie planting, above,is in the very earlystages of construction.The white mound inthe background is thedisposal cell.23