Online Resources

SIMply Prairie - Finding Information: Online Resources

Online Resources Investigation Assessment

You may want to use the Internet record sheet to keep track of the URL's you visit.
PRAIRIE RESOURCES

Center for Conservation Biology Network - http://conbio.net/VL/browse/ (use search within site)

EPA Green Landscaping with Native Plants - http://www.epa.gov/greenacres

Promotes the use of native prairie, forest, and wetland plants. Sections include how to get started, what to expect while the plants are taking root, maintenance with fire or mowing, a toolkit for local governments to promote native plants, and an article on municipal weed laws.

Exploring the Prairie - http://campsilos.org/mod1/students/index.shtml
Camp Silo's site on the tallgrass prairie for students include Quick Facts, Scavenger Hunt, A Prairie Problem, Build a Prairie, History Detective and other activities.

Fermilab Ecology - http://www.fnal.gov/pub/about/campus/ecology/index.html
Explore the natural world at Fermilab and the Lab's environmental efforts.

Fermilab Online Prairie Data - http://www-ed.fnal.gov/data/life_sci/data/stud_index.shtml
Fermilab provides online resources for students to conduct research studies on the prairie.

Flight of the Bumblebee - http://www-ed.fnal.gov/help/prairie/franzen/Bombus.html
The only bee native to North America is the bumblebee. Eight species have been verified foraging on the Fermilab prairie. Interesting links to related sites.

Illinois Department of Natural Resources - http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/education/classrm/classrm.htm

Illinois Natural History Survey - http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/~kenr/prairieplants.html
and
Illinois Natural History Survey library - http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/
Natural History Survey scientists study the plants and animals of Illinois and how they interact among the variety of ecosystems throughout the state. Through its research and other activities, the Survey fosters intelligent and responsible management of the biological resources of Illinois and public appreciation of the state's natural heritage. It is recognized as the nation's premier natural history survey.

Illinois Tallgrass Prairie - http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/~kenr/tallgrass.html
Authored by Kenneth R. Robertson of the Illinois Natural History Survey, most aspects of the Illinois Tallgrass prairie are magnificently featured in photo and text. A database with cross-reference between common and scientific names is featured as well.

Iowa State University Public Hoomepage Server - http://www.public.iastate.edu/
From a search one "prairie," you can research virtually all aspects of tallgrass prairie plants, wildlife and history.

Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie - http://www.fs.fed.us/mntp/
U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources have joined to restore this natural area in northern Illinois to tallgrass prairie. Information on restoration and maintenance of prairie is highlighted.

National Biological Information Infrastructure - http://www.nbii.gov/
The NBII is an electronic gateway to biological data and information maintained by federal, state, and local government agencies; private sector organizations; and other partners around the nation and the world.

Northern Prairie Science Center - http://www.npsc.nbs.gov/
Maintained by United States Geological Survey, this site hosts a database with over 1,000 articles specific to prairie study along with general information, seasonal attractions, and much more. Send a virtual prairie postcard to a fellow prairie advocate, too!

Particles and Prairies Videodisc - Slides: http://www-ed.fnal.gov/lasso/slides/show-slides.html
and Video: http://www-ed.fnal.gov/data/life_sci/ppvideo/
The Particles and Prairies Videodisc has over 1000 slides and video covering the restoration, history, ecology and research done on the Fermilab prairie. The videodisc is an award-winning videodisc produced by the Friends of Fermilab. The streamed video requires the Realplayer and a fast Internet connection.

The Prairie Enthusiasts - http://www.prairie.pressenter.com/

The Prairie Enthusiasts is a grassroots, volunteer organization concerned with the maintenance and recovery of prairie and oak savanna of Wisconsin and northern Illinois. The What's New, Discussion Area, Flora/Fauna, and Books We Recommend sections are excellent.

Prairie Related Links - http://www.looksmart.com/eus1/eus53706/eus53712/eus517274/eus330298/eus227621/r?lm&im&

This site contains about eighty or more prairie related links. Categories include: Some Useful Prairie Wildflower Links, Organizations, Horticultural Links, Links that Contain Related Information, and Misc. and Interesting Reciprocal Links.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - http://www.fws.gov/index.html (use search within site)
The search within this U.S. Fish and Wildlife site yielded over 300 options for the query "prairie."

vPlants - a virtual herbarium of the Chicago region - http://www.vplants.org/
Three major botanical institutions, The Morton Arboretum ,The Field Museum of Natural History , and the Chicago Botanic Garden are developing an on-line searchable herbarium (vPlantsª, or "virtual plants") that will provide herbarium specimen data and digitalimages of specimens and labels to anyone with internet access.

SEED SOURCE AND RESTORATION TIPS

Forage Information System - http://www.forages.css.orst.edu/Topics/Species/Grasses/Prairie_grass/index.html

Heyne Custom Seed - http://www.netins.net/showcase/bluestem
Although presented by a commercial seed company, this site offers good information regarding propagation and sustenance of prairie plants. Also included is a page with an impressive list of links and information about threatened and endangered native plants.

Prairie Frontier Wildflowers and Prairie Grass Seed - http://www.prairiefrontier.com/pages/plantipsa.html
Although presented by a commercial seed company, this site offers good information regarding propagation and sustenance of prairie plants.

Prairie Restoration - http://www.fnal.gov/pub/about/campus/ecology/prairie/index.html
Learn how Fermilab is maintaining and adding to its 1200+ acre restored prairie.

Prairie Restoration Information - http://www-ed.fnal.gov/help/prairie/Prairie_Res/index.html
Individuals and schools interested in developing a prairie parcel will find this "how to" site essential in the process.

AGRICULTURE GENERAL SITE

United States Department of Agriculture - http://www.usda.gov/nass/

WEATHER VIRTUAL SITE

Weather Underground - http://www.wunderground.com
Gives planting conditions.

HISTORICAL SITES

Garfield Farm and Inn Museum - http://www.elnet.com/~garfarm/

Garfield Farm and Inn is a 281-acre farmstead and former 1840's teamster inn. The museum brings together the farming experiences of the past 150 years with an appreciation of the natural environment that the Garfields found when they came to Illinois. The site includes the 20-acre Mill Creek Prairie.

Kline Creek Farm at Timber Ridge Forest Preserve - http://www.dupageforest.com/EDUCATION/klinecreek.html
Kline Creek Farm is a "living history" farm depicting farm life as it was on this site and hundreds of others like it in 1890s DuPage County, Illinois. Its purpose is to explore what life was like here a century ago.

Naper Settlement - http://www.napersettlement.org

Naper Settlement is a museum village where 19th-century homes, shops and public buildings tell the story of Naperville as it changed from a frontier outpost to a bustling turn-of-the century community.

Settlers' Letters - http://www-ed.fnal.gov/data/life_sci/letters
Includes descriptions of the prairie from early settlers to Illinois. All excerpts from letters, journals and personal accounts are from original materials in the collection of the Chicago Historical Society.