This project provided an opportunity for students and city staff to learn together about the value of prairie plants, even in relatively small spaces such as the new garden they created. Prairie restorations provide much-needed habitat and food for songbirds, pollinators, and other native wildlife. The extensive roots of prairie plants provide many benefits--building nutrient-rich soil, mitigating soil erosion, and infiltrating stormwater runoff. Prairies in urban areas can also save money since they do not require the annual application of costly pesticides or mowing. West Burlington officials hope the pollinator garden is the first of many in the city.

Students visited the city three times. The first two visits were spent touring possible sites and meeting with city facilities personnel and other stakeholders. The group support and insight from community-based partners at Homestead 1839 and Prairie Roots Landscaping. During the third visit, students planted more than 400 native plants at Pat Klein Park.

To reflect on their project, students wrote haikus related to their experience. The full collection of haikus are included below as a pdf (please note they are scanned images of handwritten poems). Enjoy!