Sect. 1 7-21-15.qxp:Layout 1 7/16/15 12:38 PM Page 1 Barnard hopes to inspire interest in prairie with new field guide By Donna Sullivan, Editor Almost as common as the air we breathe, especially for those living outside of urban areas, are the grasses that surround us; so common as to be overlooked and often taken for granted, save for the weekly watering and mowing. But Iralee Barnard sees grasses differently, with a love for the prairie that runs deep and a desire to ed- ucate others on the important role it plays in our daily lives. Her father was in the Air Force, so she traveled around quite a bit, but does have family ties to the Kansas prairie. Her great-grandfa- ther homesteaded near New- ton. “I moved here forty years ago and became fasci- nated with the prairie plants and set out to learn about all the plants that are just right outside my door here,” Barnard said. Barnard is a retired Kansas State University Ex- tension botanist and also worked at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. While at KSU she was re- sponsible for providing plant specimen identification for Iralee Barnard traveled Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma with her husband Ken, photographing the many species of prairie grasses for her county agents as well as in- book, Field Guide to the Common Grasses of Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. Courtesy photos dividuals. At the Tallgrass more photo-intensive and Texas and they shaped the terested in learning about Prairie National Preserve she not as technically-written as land and our future here.” what makes it work and how conducted vegetation studies many reference books are. Barnard is pleased to see those plants work for them.” and monitoring projects. While she was an expert the idea of prairie restoration So giving those caretakers of While out with a friend on her subject matter, she’d beginning to catch on, with the prairie an effective tool one day in the fall, enjoying never considered herself a more of a focus on incorpo- was important to her and she the beauty of the grasses, she writer, and wasn’t sure how rating more diverse plants sought to provide them with thought about how most peo- to go about starting the into CRP to make it more a resource that would be ple don’t even notice the process of publishing a like the natural prairie, easy to understand and use. small, colorful flowers pro- book. She contacted Univer- which provides added bene- So far, she’s received great duced by the grass plants. sity Press of Kansas, who ac- fit to wildlife. “I don’t think reviews from people who “People just take grasses for cepted her proposal. “I was in Kansas we cared so much have actually put the book to granted and don’t recognize delighted,” she said. “The about it as other states, be- work for them. “I’m hearing how diverse and interesting biggest learning experience cause they have lost more of from people who say they they are,” she said. That was learning the process of their prairie. Iowa has lost al- are easily able to find the thought, coupled with a writing a book.” She had most all their prairie, so they grass that they’re looking for comment from another lady previously worked with the appreciate the restoration. and the identifications,” that she needed more photos Great Plains Nature Center We have more prairie here in Barnard stated. “I’m happy to aid in her efforts for grass to write the Wildflowers of Kansas, especially in the about that because you never Barnard fell in love with the prairie when she moved identification, led Barnard to Kansas pocket guide. “But Flint Hills, than anywhere really know until it’s actual- here forty years ago. She is a retired KSU Extension the realization that she need- that was such a different else.” People are also start- ly out there how people are botanist and also worked at the Tallgrass Prairie Na- ed to write a book about scale and nothing like this ing to use more native grass- going to use it and how it’s tional Preserve. grasses. She wanted it to be bigger book, so I had a lot to es in their landscaping, going to work for them.” pedeza, that we thought was we are, especially here, with learn,” she continued. which she sees as an indica- Included in the book are a good plant that we would our native plants and how Even before contacting tion that they’re becoming grasses that are undesirable want, that it would have important they are, and the publisher, she began tak- more aware of their prairie on the prairie, including many benefits, but then to maybe we really don’t need ing pictures of the different heritage. “People are really Johnsongrass and Old World find that our native things are so many new things,” she re- grasses. Her initial plan was excited about them and I’m Bluestems. “The Old World actually preferred by the ani- flected. “You know, we’ve to only include Kansas glad to see that,” she said. Bluestems have been around mals and the wildlife and got something special. Noth- grasses, but the publisher She’s also pleased with for a while, but people are that these plants can just ing fattens cattle better than suggested she cover those in the increased interest in just now really catching on overtake. Not all are that Big Bluestem.” Nebraska and Oklahoma as grass management among to the fact that it’s going to way, we have introduced Barnard’s Field Guide to well. “It was fun to add those cattle producers. “The best be a problem and it’s going some things that just sort of the Common Grasses of other states and get to learn ones know that their crop is to be a very serious one,” she blend in without actually be- Oklahoma, Kansas and Ne- more about their prairies and actually grasses,” she point- said. “The worse thing about coming noxious. But when braska is available through their grasslands,” she de- ed out. “Those people man- grasses invading is that it’s one plant takes over, you University Press of Kansas, scribed. “Our history is age their grasses and to do hard to control them. With a have to find a way to control www.kansaspress.ku.edu. grasses. I feel that’s some- this, you have to know your broadleaf, you can spray for it or get rid of it and that’s re- “Grasses are so tremen- thing that people here in the grasses and understand the them and not hurt the grass- ally hard.” dously important to every- center of the United States dynamics of the different es. But it’s pretty hard when While Barnard acknowl- one,” she concluded. “And have kind of forgotten or lost grass species. By doing this, grasses invade.” She believes edges it’s human nature to just the beauty of the grass- touch with, that those of us it means healthier cattle and they will eventually be de- always be looking to im- es, to just go out and enjoy here in the Central Plains are better growth and produc- clared a noxious weed by the prove our methods and sur- them and all the benefits very connected to the wild tion. Cattle producers have state. “It was like so many roundings, she sees the they have to wildlife. That’s grasses. And that’s because always been pretty savvy, things that we’ve intro- Kansas prairie as pretty spe- one of the things that I hope the prairie grasses covered but maybe they just didn’t duced,” she went on. “We’ve cial just the way it is. “I think people get from reading the the central part of North understand what was work- brought in a lot of different we don’t realize how lucky book.” America from Canada to ing. Now people are more in- plants, like Sericea les- Sect. 1 7-21-15.qxp:Layout 1 7/16/15 12:39 PM Page 2 Page 2 Grass & Grain, July 21, 2015 ing and other necessities. are met without worry of Oftentimes money to pay availability. for vacations goes on plastic The next time you walk and is paid for later with in- into your local supermarket, terest. Parents will think to remember milk comes from themselves, “We worked carefully cared for dairy hard for this time off. We de- cows on someone’s farm. Re- serve it and we’re going to member the butcher per- enjoy it.” forms a service in cutting This vacation, Americans remain the and packaging the hamburg- luckiest, most pampered er, chops and steak you and remember agriculture people in the world. Try to your family eat. Don’t forget We were looking that’s no longer possible. By John Schlageck, ty. Children will ensure this imagine what it would be the Kansas farmer and through old pictures in our It was three weeks ago like if we had to be self-suf- rancher cares for and pro- Kansas Farm Bureau dream remains only partial- family picture box, when on a Sunday night that my All across our country ly fulfilled with road com- ficient. duces pork and beef. Styro- Americans are checking ments like: “I’m hungry, I What would happen to foam cartons only hold the my sister came across one Mom left us.