By Lindsay Hoyt (2025)
The Snowball Hill Prairie tour was an absolute hit! The weather was perfect and there was so much in bloom.
We had 9 participants attend. Two brothers in the group really knew their birds, which was incredibly helpful since I am more of a plant person! They were sure they spotted a Western Meadowlark, mentioning that was a treat to see. Another Master Naturalist joined us as well and shared some fantastic foraging tips.
The star of the show was definitely the Bunchflower; I managed to get a great shot of the group gathered in a patch of it. The burned areas were absolutely vibrant. We saw expansive patches of Leadplant, New Jersey Tea, Tall Green Milkweed with massive flower umbels, White Baptisia still in bloom, Prairie Phlox, coreopsis, Sensitive Briar, and Pale Coneflower dotting the upper hill. The Butterfly Milkweed was such a vivid hue it was borderline red, and Wild Bergamot scented the air as we wrapped up around the restoration section. The insect life was just as active—we spotted Widow Skimmers and various other dragonflies, bumblebees, carpenter bees, Yellow Sulphur butterflies, and arguably the best find of the day: a group of dung beetles hard at work rolling scat right on the main path!
At the end of the hike, everyone shared that they had a wonderful time. They left with a much deeper understanding of the prairie ecosystem, specifically the ecological differences between a restoration area and a remnant prairie, and the vital role MPF plays in protecting these vanishing spaces. I’m hopeful we inspired some new faces to engage with future events both in person and online.
This hike served as the final capstone project for my Master Naturalist certification, and I couldn’t have asked for a better experience or a more engaged group.
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