Grasslands of all kinds are in global decline. This decline is due to a variety of reasons: urban encroachment, human land-use practices, shrub invasion, and climate change.

The mixed-grass prairies of the Nature Center are no different and are facing the same kind of decline. Red berry and rose-fruited juniper have significantly increased in abundance on the land site. This increase alters both the structure and function of these grasslands and specifically impacts the populations of grassland birds that have historically depended on the semi-arid grasslands of the Chihuahuan Desert region.

With funding from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Partners for Wildlife Program, the CDRI is restoring the historic open structure of the Nature Center’s grasslands. The project will focus on the removal of invading juniper and restoring habitat for grassland bird species such as the Cassin’s Sparrow.

Juniper is being handcut with all stumps flush cut and treated with a 5% solution of Tordon 22K to prevent resprouting. With the help of volunteers, juniper slash is being piled and burned when winter snows or rain allow optimum conditions for burning.

A number of concurrent projects are being coordinated as part of the grassland restoration project. In the summer of 2009, volunteers Josh Burns and Laura Belkin initiated a breeding bird census in the grasslands so that we can better understand which birds are currently breeding there and what their territorial and nesting requirements are. We will continue the Breeding Bird Census in the years to come to see what effect the grassland restoration project has had on our bird populations.

For more information about this project, download the Grassland Restoration Project pdf.