Inspired by the carbon sequestering power of prairies, Eastern Washington University (EWU) is beginning a large scale prairie restoration project on its Cheney, WA, campus. The Prairie Restoration Project aims to restore 120 acres of university owned agricultural land back into palouse prairie. Once complete, this project will be the largest restoration of the critically endangered palouse prairie ecosystem, of which less than 1% remains. Thanks to funding from the U.S. EPA, EWU conducted community outreach and engagement activities with various partner groups throughout Spokane County from fall of 2018 - fall 2020 . Using a “cradle to grave” model, the education program is building a coalition of palouse prairie stewards. Partner groups, ranging from school districts to parks and rec summer camps and a senior center have learned about prairie ecology and the process of habitat restoration while growing and planting native plants for the project. Educational opportunities for participants have included hikes and nature walks, experiments with native plants, lessons in native plant production, collecting wild seed for seed increase plots, prairie themed eco-art projects, and designing and implementing a prairie demonstration garden in a local park.
Results/Conclusions
EWU’s community outreach and prairie restoration project has engaged almost 300 participants in its first two years. Over 2,700 plugs of native prairie plants were grown by participants, and will be planted in fall of 2020 during the planting of the restoration’s pilot site. 27 species of wild seeds were collected, cleaned, and prepared for seed increase projects, and numerous lessons and field trips about prairie ecology led by EWU graduate students and faculty. Many lessons have been learned during the two years of programming. A majority of participants had never heard about the prairie nor it’s conservation status, which has highlighted the need for continued prairie education and outreach throughout the region. Additionally, it became apparent that the community is also concerned over the idea of transitioning farmland back to prairie habitat. This concern has come up repeatedly over the course of the project, and care is being taken to craft future messaging in a way that does not alienate rural communities and those involved in agriculture. Lessons learned will inform the restoration program and outreach messaging moving forward, and the seeds and plants that were grown, planted, and gathered will inform the trajectory of the restoration project.