Both conservation and restoration of prairies need people to be engaged in these efforts. Ethnobotany, the use of plant materials by people for food, medicine, dye, and craft can be a key way to get people engaged in conservation and management efforts, as the personal interaction and knowledge about these plant resources creates an important connection to the land and its plants. There is a long history of interesting tribal nations use of these plants. These stories and information are not only important for honoring traditional ecological knowledge, but they also provide interesting stories and information. And today, people have greater interest than ever in learning about using native plants for food, dye, medicine and craft. To use them, especially in restored environments or even in conserved areas requires knowledge of botany, plants ecology, plant populations dynamics, ecosystem services, nutrition, medicinal chemistry and other fields, but in ways that people can understand, because it is necessary to only harvest plant materials from wild and restored areas in ways that are sustainable and do not diminish the resources. In fact, harvesting and scattering seeds offer the potential to enhance the prairie plant populations. Brief examples of plants (Echinacea, bee balm, others) and their sustainable use in native and restored prairies will be given.
Join the people who protect and manage our natural areas.