A male Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) showing off his red belly while foraging on the trail near the Wet Prairie

One hot fall morning, a male Red-bellied Woodpecker “kwirred” cheerfully  as it hopped among drooping vines, plucking fall fruits along the Paint Creek Trail north of Silver Bell Road. Down near the ground, beneath the towering stalks of Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) and Indian Grass (Sorghastrum nutans) on the Wet Prairie,   native wildflowers bloomed, often unseen.  This special prairie  is “wet” because the soil just below the surface doesn’t allow water to penetrate. That leads to very wet conditions in the spring, but droughty soil in the heat of summer.  It’s a “prairie” because prairie plants, which are adapted to fire, thrived here despite repeated wildfires over the years caused by the railroad. As a result, an unusual mix of autumn wildflowers, in exotic shapes and vivid colors, flourishes on our Wet Prairie.

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