Early Tallgrass Prairie Restoration at Homestead National Historical Park

Encompassing 100 acres of tallgrass prairie converted into agricultural land and 60 acres of woodland along a creek, Homestead National Historical Park underwent restoration by the National Park Service in 1939 to address severe erosion and improve water quality and soil productivity to support native plants and wildlife. Current restoration efforts include periodic burnings, removal of invasive plant species, reinstatement of hydrological and substrate conditions, and planting native seedlings. Recent National Park Service monitoring documented that the 100-acre restored Homestead Prairie now exhibits the species diversity and distribution characteristic of a functioning native prairie.