Outdoors

Plan now to see never-plowed prairie

September 22, 2022

Plan now to see a never-plowed prairie!

Goodnight-Henry Prairie. Photo courtesy of Bruce Schuette.

There is a 40-acre, original, unplowed prairie south of Sedalia, and the public is invited to come to see it Saturday, October 1, at the Missouri Prairie Foundation’s dedication of the plot, called the Goodnight–Henry Prairie. The event is free, and there will be guided hikes, a complimentary social hour, a silent auction, and the option to buy a BBQ dinner. You can bring your tent and camp, too, that night. The Goodnight-Henry Prairie honors the last names of two female family members of the donor of the land to The Nature Conservancy in 1991. The Missouri chapter of the conservancy donated the property to the Missouri Prairie Foundation. Surprisingly, the prairie has more than 200 plant species, with at least 28 dependent on the prairie, including the regal fritillary butterfly and the northern crawfish frog. Here is the event schedule below. You can RSVP here.

2-2:45 p.m. & 3-3:45 p.m. Guided hikes with Missouri Prairie Foundation Vice President of Science & Management Bruce Schuette and Director of Prairie Management Jerod Huebner
4 p.m. Dedication of Goodnight-Henry Prairie (under an open-air tent)
4:45 p.m.-5 p.m. Annual Member meeting: MPF members vote for director nominees
5 p.m. Social hour with complimentary wine, beer, and soft drinks
6 p.m. Optional, ticketed barbecue dinner: Pulled pork, brisket, potato casserole, coleslaw, baked beans, dessert. MPF lifetime members: Free. Members: $20 (12 & under: $15); Non-members: $25. Entree salad with plant-based protein is available upon request for $18. This is to be a zero-waste event, with compostable and/or recyclable dinnerware.

Directions to Goodnight-Henry Prairie: The prairie is located along Rt. U, just south of the intersection with Rt. V, east of Hwy. 65 and approximately 6 miles south of Sedalia, in Pettis County.