1. Illinois Natural History Survey: The Tallgrass Prairie in Illinois
http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/~kenr/prairieplants.html
2. University of Minnesota Extension: Plants in Prairie Communities
http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/DG3238.html
3. Southwest Minnesota State University: Prairie Plant Directory
http://www.southwest.msus.edu/wildlife/plantsdir.html
4. FermiLab Education Office: Prairie Parcel Restoration
http://www-ed.fnal.gov/help/prairie/Prairie_Res/
5. Cooperative Educational Service Agency: Ecosystems-Prairie Index
http://www.cesa10.k12.wi.us/Ecosystems/prairies/index.htm
6. DNR-EEK: Vegetation Fascination-Prairie Plants
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/ce/eek/veg/plants/prairieplants.htm
7. Black-Footed Ferret Recovery Implementation Team: Black-Footed Ferret
http://www.blackfootedferret.org/

Like hiking amidst alpine wildflowers in high summer, wandering through redwood groves in the winter rain, and watching sprouts emerge in the spring, the experience of standing in a tallgrass prairie in the fall can be quite incredible. The following websites take a look at the North American prairie, an important and endangered ecosystem. Created by Dr. Kenneth R. Robertson, a botanist at the Illinois Natural History Survey, the first site ({ http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/~kenr/prairieplants.html}) is stocked with excellent photos of numerous prairie plant species. From the University of Minnesota Extension, the second website ({ http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/DG3238.html}) contains a bulletin that "describes three typical prairie communities: wet, mesic, and dry, and the plants found in these communities." This bulletin is geared towards landscape architects, educators, professional designers, gardeners, and other native plant enthusiasts. The third site ({ http://www.southwest.msus.edu/wildlife/plantsdir.html}), from Southwest Minnesota State University, contains photos and short descriptions for eighteen common prairie plants. From the FermiLab Education Office, the fourth website ({ http://www-ed.fnal.gov/help/prairie/Prairie_Res/}) contains the first section of an instructional guide on prairie restoration. The guide includes brief sections on Selecting a Site, Seedbed Preparation, Planting, Watering, and more. The guide also links to an Illustrated Guide to Native Prairie Species, and a collection of reference materials. From the Cooperative Educational Service Agency, the ({ http://www.cesa10.k12.wi.us/Ecosystems/prairies/index.htm}) fifth site presents a prairie education project created by sixth-grade students in Altoona, Wisconsin. Developed by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources-Environmental Education for Kids program, the sixth ({ http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/ce/eek/veg/plants/prairieplants.htm}) website is an artful, kid-friendly introduction to prairie plants. From the Black-Footed Ferret Recovery Implementation Team, the final site ({ http://www.blackfootedferret.org/}) provides a variety of information about the endangered, prairie-dwelling black-footed ferret. [NL]