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Two Nature Preserves.
Historically, prairies were maintained by naturally occurring wildfires that swept across entire landscapes every four or five years, as well as by large grazers such as bison. Without these important components, prairie would have ceased to exist. Both fire and grazers eliminate trees and dead plant material and rejuvenate the prairie by encouraging new grass and wildflower growth. In the past, the result was a highly diverse landscape with hundreds of plant and animal species. Today, however, fires do not sweep across entire tallgrass prairie landscapes at scales as large as they once did, and bison no longer roam freely. We must therefore manage remaining grassland fragments in such a way that these effects are simulated. Managing for tallgrass prairie at Allwine Prairie Preserve and T.L. Davis Prairie will enable current and future generations to appreciate and learn about our natural heritage.
Allwine Prairie Preserve is a 243 acre reestablished grassland research area situated northwest of Omaha in Douglas County, Nebraska. The original 160 acre farm was donated to the University of Nebraska at Omaha Biology Department in 1959 by Arthur A. Allwine. In 1970, 130 acres were seeded with native tallgrass prairie species; an additional 7 acres were seeded to mixed-grass species. In 2010, 83 acres northeast of the preserve were purchased with financial support from the Nebraska Environmental Trust, Papio-Missouri River NRD and UNO. This area will soon be restored to wetland, stream and prairie habitat.
View Allwine Prairie Preserve Photo Gallery
T.L. Davis Prairie is a 25-acre preserve that was donated to the Biology Department in Spring 2005, and is named after the donor's grandfather, Thomas L. Davis. T.L. Davis Prairie is a significant addition to the University of Nebraska at Omaha Department of Biology in that it expands our existing tallgrass prairie preserve (Allwine Prairie) to include additional historic plant communities. The main area consists of upland loess bluff prairie remnant and oak woodland slopes.
View T.L. Davis Prairie Photo Gallery
Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly milkweed) at Allwine Prairie Preserve.