Tuesday, March 13, 2012

What does a Project Manager do on a Prairie??

When I tell people what I do for a living, I get a variety of reactions.  One question usually always leads to another.  Here's an example:

Me:  I work on a prairie restoration.
Q:  What is that?
Me:  Mass agriculture and development have diminished our native prairies greatly.  We are now trying to restore these plots of land with what was once originally there.
Q:  Why would you do that?

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Once they ask this, the person should:
A. Touch my left shoulder if you'd like to hear about Native Flora and Diversity
B. Touch my right shoulder if you'd like to hear about local/native Entymology (insects)/Fauna
C. Wiggle my right ear if you'd like to hear about Ornithology (birds)
D. Tap my forehead if you'd like to know how a prairie can bring communities together, get kids playing outside again(!!), and educate    
E. Spin around if you want to hear of Environmental advantages
F.  Give me a hug if you'd like to hear about the Aesthetic qualities of a prairie
G. Do a handstand (yep a handstand) if you'd like to know how it affects the aquifer we all get our drinking water below ground
H. Sit down if you'd like to hear about Below Ground Biomass/soil...cuz this is going to be long.

All of these together (with invasive plant control and fire management) would create a healthy landscape.  A very healthy landscape.  Imagine if we had healthy prairies all around us like we do crop fields.  Instead of deer getting in the road getting hit by cars, we'd have bison!!  So much diversity!!!!  A lot more fire as well.....!!
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 Me:  Well, take a walk through a prairie some time, and notice what's going on around you.  You'll never be in a place that has so much activity/interactions going on.  And it's all for the better.

Lobelia cardinalis & Lobelia siphilitica

Papilio glaucus



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