PRAIRIE KEEPERS
commitment to native plant restoration, stewardship, and education

Prairie Keepers’ mission is to provide valuable education to address native grassland prairie restoration and to provide opportunities to become involved with controlling noxious weeds with local experts. Since 2000, Prairie Keepers involves partners between the University of Montana Integrated Pest Management program, the Montana Natural History Center, and the Missoula County Weed District. This year, Prairie Keepers partners also include the Ravalli County Weed District, and the Montana Native Plant Society.

Where do I go for Prairie Keepers programs?
Tuesday evening programs are held at a variety of locations around the Missoula valley. Locations include the Montana Natural History Center’s Nature Adventure Garden at Fort Missoula, Mt. Jumbo, Mt. Sentinel as well as community native plant gardens.

Visit the Nature Adventure Garden at Fort Missoula!
This exciting demonstration project combines educational resources with wide open prairie. Thousands of community service learning hours have gone into this beautiful display of Montana native plants. Find the gardens at the base of the water tower in Fort Missoula.

New Prairie Keepers website! prairiekeepers.dbs.umt.edu

2007 Prairie Keepers Schedule
Please see prairiekeepers.dbs.umt.edu for all updates and changes to schedule.

July 6, 6:00 - 9:00 pm The Soil is Alive!
What goes on underground in the wild prairie? Wildflower and grass roots intermingle with fungi, insects and bacteria... in fact most of the action is invisible to the naked eye. Come and learn about it from plant and soil ecologists while helping to harvest roots from an ecology research project. Participants get free native prairie plants! And a better understanding of our native soil.

Instructors: Drs. Pamela Kittelson, Dan Mummey and Matthias Rillig
Location: UM's Diettert Garden Greenhouse (behind the new Lewis and Clark apartments on Higgins, south of Dornblaser, map forthcoming) Cost: FREE! In fact we will give you free native plants and lots of snacks.