Sand Prairie

The black oak savannas give way to sunny, wide open sand prairies like this one. Little bluestem, the prairie grass that prefer dry soils, thrives in sand prairies as do many other plants. Grasslands are home to many birds, like these beautiful sandhill cranes (left) and whooping cranes (2 on right). In Cook County, you can see this type of ecosystem at the Sand Ridge Prairie near Calumet City.

Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)
Little bluestem grows knee-high in dry prairies. It grows well on hillsides at the sandy Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. In the fall, it turns a rich red color.

Sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis)
Sandhill cranes have unfortunately become rare, the result of fewer wetlands and less habitat. But each fall during migration, hundreds stop to rest at the Jasper-Pulaski State Fish and Wildlife Area in northern Indiana, where you can go to see them.

Jasper-Pulaski State Fish and Wildlife Area The open fields and canals of this State of Indiana-owned refuge host sandhill cranes each year from mid-October to mid-November. Take I-94 east to Michigan City, Indiana. Exit at Route 421. Go south on 421 until you are five miles south of San Pierre. Turn west (right) on 143. Go 1 ½ miles to refuge entrance. Call 219-843-4841 for more information.

Sand Ridge Prairie
Exit I-94 at 159th Street (Route 6). Go east on 159th about two miles; the sign for the Sand Ridge Nature Center is on the left hand side of the road before you reach Torrence; the nature preserve is past Torrence, also on the left (north) side of the road. Call (708) 868-0606 for more information.

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