See these luscious green shoots? This field was on fire the week before, charred to the roots, black and all smokey, like my famous blackened pork tenderloin recipe. Now look at it. This stuff grows like a weed. Ain’t nature grand? Actually, it was nature that started this thing. Lightning threw the first punch. Then the Indians saw the cleansing power of nature and started lighting their own fires. They saw the clearing out of noxious weeds, the nutrients churning back into the soil, the green grass snapping back stronger and more resilient. Lighting fire to the prairies each spring has been going on for hundreds of years. And that’s what brought us here last year. I got matches, we’re here to help.

The views are expansive and serene. Zen-like.

The views are expansive and serene. Zen-like.

Still shunted in early spring, the tallgrass can grow to several feet by the autumn. Prescribed, seasonal burns keep the planes treeless and free of noxious weeds.

Chock-full of flint and limestone, the fields have always been too thick to plow, so thousands of virgin prairie remain today, now in this national scenic preserve.

There are bus tours that take you way out amidst the see of tallgrass. Or you can hike.

With nary a tree for miles but plenty of stone, ranchers built fence lines made of local limestone.

In the calving season of spring, the buffaloes can be a bit aggressive, so we chose to stand our distance.

Herds of wild buffalo can be seen throughout the preserve

An excellent new Visitor’s Center starts off your tour.

The old barns and homestead of the original property owner remain today.