‘Passing Through’ walks precariously amongst the tall grass on a viable remnant prairie in Northwest Arkansas referencing outdoor structures and large roaming animals.

Surrounding the piece is Andropogon gerardi; a native tallgrass species found on some of the remnant prairies and savannas remaining in Northwest Arkansas, and also native to He Sapa (The Black Hills, SD) and the adjacent prairie lands.

LOCATION NOTES:

"At  the interface of the Lower Boston Mountains and the Springfield Plateau  ecoregions in south Fayetteville sits a small but biologically diverse  native plant community. At about 15 acres, this mosaic of tallgrass  prairie and oak savanna is a tiny remnant of a once-extensive landscape  in Northwest Arkansas that covered tens of thousands of acres and  supported many species of native plants and wildlife.  

Historically,  these types of open habitats were maintained by fire and large grazing  mammals such as bison and elk. But over time they were heavily  fragmented, degraded, and even destroyed due to fire suppression,  conversion to hay pastures, and widespread urban development. While this  small prairie-savanna remnant is in a degraded condition today, with  several undesirable non-native plants dominating in some areas, many  native plant species that were once common here persist, indicating that  it may be restorable to a healthier condition with targeted management.  Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardi) is one of the dominant grasses at the site, with lesser amounts of Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans) and Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), and wildflowers such as white wild indigo (Baptisia alba), cream wild indigo (Baptisia bracteata), Rough Blazing-star (Liatris aspera), Ashy Sunflower (Helianthus mollis), Virginia Meadow-beauty (Rhexia virginica), and Slender Mountain-mint (Pycnanthemum tenuifolium)  are abundant. By bringing back fire and using mowing and other modern  management tools as proxies for grazing by large mammals, we expect to  see native plants rebound and begin to thrive again. " 

-Jennifer Ogle, Collections Mananger, University of Arkansas Herbarium