December 2020 - Parks & Recreation - 38

P O L L I N AT O R S

The original prairie project in Whetstone
Park was developed in 2004 as a creative solution to reduce mowing in the
park and to promote wildlife habitat.

Nature Restored
Tallgrass prairies once covered
more than 1,000 square miles of
Ohio, and more than 99 percent
of prairies were lost in the state
due to farming and development
(tinyurl.com/y3s8x4tw). Prairies
are now one of the most endangered ecosystems on earth (tinyurl.
com/yxcdcgg3). Restoring prairies
is an important conservation priority. The original prairie project in
Whetstone Park was developed in
2004, with grant funding and volunteer support as a creative solution to reduce mowing in the park
and to promote wildlife habitat.
Initially, it was a picturesque space
full of wildflowers, but the prairie's
maintenance suffered during the
recession. Without prairie manage36

Parks & Recreation

ment, such as mowing or burning,
saplings grew tall and overtook the
native grasses.
In 2018, Columbus Recreation
and Parks Department and the
community acknowledged safety and environmental concerns
regarding the overgrown vegetation. A team from the department
worked with the local area commission, Columbus residents and a
capstone class from The Ohio State
University (OSU) to develop a fiveyear plan to restore the prairie ecosystem to its previous integrity and
make its management sustainable.
The public response has been extremely positive. As one resident
said in 2018, " I love the prairie but
have been quite dissatisfied lately
due to the overgrowth.... I appreciate that there is now a plan. "
Columbus
Recreation
and
Parks Department was fortunate to receive a $20,000 Parks
for Pollinators grant through
NRPA and The Scotts MiracleGro Foundation to kickstart this
project. This grant funded not only
the restoration of the Whetstone
prairie, but also pollinator education for local children and families.
Partnerships and community
support have been the key to this
project's success. Several local corporations and organizations volun-

teered at Earth Day events to plant
prairie seed and plugs. In addition
to assisting with the management
plan, the OSU students conducted
research, data collection and designed educational signage. Community volunteers also were welcomed to assist with weeding the
prairie. Columbus residents are curious about the work we are doing
and the future plans for this land.
By holding volunteer events and
posting educational signage, we
learned there was great public interest in learning about pollinators.
All of the goals in the prairie management plan are demonstrating
measurable success. One of the department's goals was to reduce the
amount of woody species - such
as trees and shrubs - in the prairie, and they have decreased by twothirds. Woody invasive plants were
eliminated entirely, and invasive
species also decreased. The prairie's
overall biodiversity has increased
since we implemented mowing and
planting, and, in particular, our target native, non-woody species have
increased by 142 percent. Through
habitat surveys, we can communicate the effectiveness of prairie
restoration and advocate for more
prairies throughout our parks.
Park users also enjoy seeing the
wildlife the prairie attracts. One
visitor said, " I love to come here
to see the hummingbirds. I have a
feeder at home, but it's so cool to
see them out in nature. "

Summary of Whetstone Prairie Species, 2017 to 2019
2017

2019

% change

Total species

36%

Woody species

-67%

Woody invasives

-100%

Invasive species

-23%

Native, non-woody

142%

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December 2020 - Parks & Recreation

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