On Sunday, May 22, several Wild Ones St. Louis Chapter members traveled south on Interstate 55 to attend the Edgar W. Schmidt Sand Prairie dedication.
In June 2021, the Missouri Prairie Foundation purchased a 55-acre original prairie remnant near Benton, Missouri. The prairie contains both sand prairie and sand savanna, which are critically imperiled natural communities in Missouri. The purchase of this prairie was made possible in part by a bequest from the late Ed Schmidt of Richmond Heights.
Ed Schmidt was a long-time member of Wild Ones St. Louis, serving as President from 2010-2016. He was also a life-time member of Missouri Prairie Foundation, and his generous financial bequest has also been used to help fund the purchase of Pleasant Run Creek prairie, Lordi Marker Prairie, and Thoh-dah Prairie. On June 4th there will be a public dedication of the Thoh-dah Prairie near Deepwater, Missouri, followed by a bioblitz.
Wild Ones St. Louis Chapter is a proud silver sponsor of Grow Native!, a program of the Missouri Prairie Foundation. If you are interested in supporting with a personal membership, please visit https://moprairie.org/.
