In the Making: Prairie Culture Today
to which we belong, we may
begin to use it with love and respect.
There is no other way for land to
survive the impact of mechanized man,
nor for us to reap from it the
esthetic harvest it is capable, under s
cience, of contributing to culture.
--Aldo Leopold, Sand County Almanac
Here in the McDowell Creek Community and in the larger Flint Hills, humans live together with the tall grass prairie-the air, rocks, waters, animals, plants, and soil that make up what Aldo Leopold called our "land community." Humans have always been a part of this community, but our awareness has not always kept pace with our reality. Too often our non-human neighbors have faded from view as we focused only on other humans or on those creatures that contributed to or threatened our short-term gains.
By the early 20th century many prairie areas had been plowed and prairie wildlife exterminated. On the human level, Kansas had suffered waves of ethnic cleansing, with white supremacists proclaiming their control of rural areas. Our Prairie Heritage book-award winners illuminate this history, as referenced in the Kansas Reflector:
https://kansasreflector.com/2021/01/31/how-whiteness-won-the-war-in-kansas/
Therefore, to build an inclusive prairie community, we must simultaneously overcome an inherited antagonism to wildlife--the exterminationist impulse that has morphed into ignorance of prairie plants and animals--and the legacy of white-supremacist violence--that has morphed into the unnatural "whiteness" of many rural communities and environmental organizations.
As people of all ethnicities come together to preserve, restore, and experience the prairie, we will build a "land community" worthy of the name.
PRAIRIE TALK: THE BLOG
Share your observations of creatures of the tall grass prairie-human and non-human! Tell stories of interactions. Share your speculations or philosophizings about humans and the tall grass prairie. Margy & Ron record daily observations of Bird Runner Wildlife Refuge here. [ Visit the Prairie Blog ]
TRAILCAM VIDEOS & PHOTOS
There are several trailcams set up at Bird Runner Wildlife Refuge. This section contains recent videos and photos, as well as a link to the trailcam archives. You are invited to submit trailcam videos and photos, as long as they document residents of the tall grass prairie. [ Trailcam Videos ] [ Photo Gallery ]
REVIEWS & LINKS
Reviews of books, articles, & art illuminating the tall grass prairie land community will be posted here. Also, this site is only a small part in a wider general effort. Therefore, links to other sites contributing to the creation of prairie culture will be included here.
[ Useful Links ]
POETRY, MUSIC, ESSAYS, FICTION, AUDIO/VISUAL ART
As long as it is inspired by the tall grass prairie or illuminates the tall grass prairie land community in some way, art in a variety of genres can be published here. [ Prairie Poetry & Prose ]
Send submissions to margystewart785@gmail.com.