The Decorah Parks and Recreation Department and interested citizens are forming a new group called "Friends of the Prairie" to help support the Decorah Prairie Park.

An organizational meeting of Friends of the Prairie has been scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 18th, at the Butterfly Garden.

The 36-acre prairie park along the Upper Iowa River began in 2001 with the cooperation of several groups of people.  A half-acre butterfly garden was added in 2002, as was 24 acres of prairie plantings with 73 species, designed by Terry Haindfield from the Iowa DNR.

The Decorah Prairie Project, including the Butterfly Garden, provides habitat for wildlife, showcases a large variety of prairie species and offers  educational opportunities for young, old, and middle-aged. Following the floods of 2008, regular visitors noted that the Butterfly Garden had become a very wild prairie.

Members of the Friends of the Prairie might adopt a single species or adopt a certain part of the garden to maintain.  They will mulch, weed, harvest seed and replant plants in the Butterfly Garden.  The project will change as the growing year proceeds.

If the weather is good, the organizational meeting will include cleaning of the rubble from last year to make identification of plants easier.  Bring gloves and clippers/nippers, if possible.  If you have questions, contact Rick Edwards at the Decorah Park and Recreation office, (563) 382-4158.