Just south of the PGT Center, the trail meanders past native grasses and flowers and into the edge of woods with oak, maple, hickory, dogwood and more. Since 1986, over 50 types of grasses and flowers were planted to convert an old fescue field into prairie. Controlled fires every few years keep trees from invading. In early spring, Indian paintbrush carpets patches of the prairie, followed by the yellow of coneflowers and purple of blazing star. In warmer weather the Indian grass, big bluestem and other native grasses come to life. In the early 1800s, about a third of Missouri was prairie, but now less than one percent remains.
