[To see photos and stories of this prairie in other years, go to the links on the main East Center Valley page.]
This year we did an early spring burn at the north end of this prairie – from the driveway, up the hill to the woods. There was so much duff covering the ground that we were afraid it was preventing the prairie seeds from reaching the soil.
1/1/2014
1/19/2014
4/26/2014 The beginning of the burn – making the black line at the south end
4/26/2014
4/26/2014
4/26/2014
4/26/2014
4/26/2014
4/27/2014 It was a very successful burn – now we can see the soil
4/27/2014
5/7/2014
5/14/2014
5/30/2014
8/1/2014
8/1/2014 There’s now quite a bit of diversity in the plants in the area where we burned. The areas where we didn’t burn were also very diverse this year – I think the prairie plants are finally starting to win the fight against the annual grasses.
8/1/2014
8/1/2014 This is the area that was burned. It still isn’t as diverse as the rest.
8/15/2014
8/15/2014 This is looking up past the lower prairie to the upper prairie.
8/15/2014 The lower prairie in the foreground, still dominated by Canada Goldenrod, and the upper prairie, which is starting to look more diverse.
8/21/2014 We mowed one small area next to the driveway because it has a dense stand of Canada Thistle.
8/21/2014
12/17/2014 This view of Center Valley is one I’d never seen before. I took it from Maple Ridge – the piece that we just bought this summer.
12/27/2014 Looking north along the prairie, with the Knife Edge Point in the distance
12/28/2014
12/29/2014 Another view with the Knife Edge Point in the back