Bison Buggy

Last Wednesday, a group of us from the nature center had the opportunity to visit Belwin Conservancy's property where "the buffalo roam." Belwin has a group of about 28 two-year-old female bison that roam freely in a large restored prairie.

The Conservancy staff have studied the effects of the bison on the prairie - Do grasses do better than forbs? Do certain kinds of grasses grow better where the bison walk regularly? Is the quality of the meat different for bison grazing on prairie grasses versus those grazing on standard fields? (Yes!) The buggy is able to get close to the herd (which is used to the sound and motion of the vehicle) and gave us a really good look at the animals.

As we wrapped up our visit, the staff let us collect a few artifacts to add to the props we use in our prairie classes. Naturalists - we like weird stuff!