Nachusa Grasslands -- Autumn on the Prairie

Each year Nachusa Grasslands has a huge day filled with events; they call it Autumn on the Prairie. Everyone is invited and the only required fee is $5.00 to park. There are guided hikes, information tents, a self guided tour, and most recently added a chance to take a tractor ride out to see the Bison that now live on this prairie. 

Bison just a short distance from the main gathering area for the festival.

The self-guided tour. This is a great opportunity to look at prairie plants
that are marked so you can learn their names.

Tracy and I got our ticket for the Bison Tractor ride, but saved that treasure for the end of the visit. First we went on a photography walk with Charles Larry. They took the group out by truck through the woods to a prairie field. We hiked back toward the gate and stopped along the way to take photographs. It was quite breezy and I wanted to capture the breeze in the field. I slowed my shutter speed so the motion of the grasses would be captured.

I loved how this photographer looked as she contemplated the field. The moment reminded me of a photograph I took of a gardener at Giverny in June.

 A Question Mark (Polygonia interrogationis) decided that my leg was tasty. It stayed there for quite a while even allowing me to move enough to get my leg in a position for me to take its photograph. I learned this past spring that butterflies tend to sit still with their wings closed. (It's one of several clues you can use to tell the difference between a moth and a butterfly.) This was true for this Question Mark as well, it only spread it's wings for a second or two before closing them up for what felt like minutes.

No reading skills necessary to understand this sign. I guess for some, it could be a dare, but I saw the bison up close and I don't want those horns anywhere near my backside or any side for that matter.  I do love how the sign is so ominous, but the sky and flowers feel so peaceful.

A Moment on the Prairie

Kevin Kaltenbach our tour guide on the afternoon
Prairie and Fen walk.

Prairie Gentian

 This Prairie flower is a fun bright spot in autumn when the flowers are dying off for the season. It is an indicator plant of an original prairie and other high quality prairies. In other words, the more you see, the better the prairie is doing.

We hopped on a bench on the tractor bed and off we went through the prairie in search of the bison. We stopped and this is what we saw. I was reminded of my whale watch trips where you go out and you can see the whales way off in the distance, but you feel so far removed. Our tractor and two others sat and waited. We watched and could see that the bison were eating and slowly moving. We waited and we waited, and then there they were munching and walking and coming right toward us. It was like that moment when a whale breeches right next to the boat. You are frozen in time and awe.

They kept coming toward us. We ended our visit so the bison could go along their way and do their thing without interruption. It was a joyful experience and we wanted to do it again. When we got back to the loading area, we asked if we could go one more time. It was the end of the day, there were no lines, so the answer was yes. Off we went and we were given another show.

They headed in a different direction, but were quite close. Then one bison, mounted another one and that started a stampede of sorts. They took off across the prairie parallel to our tractor. Check out the video as they ran by. Now that's up close and personal with nature.

If you have never been, I recommend a trip to Nachusa Grasslands. It's beautiful and you just never know what you will encounter.