May 12, 2010
(Editor’s Note: The Glacier Creek Project was featured in the inaugural issue of The Omaha Catalogue of Urban Design Philanthropy, a compendium of strategic giving opportunities that focus on the city’s natural and built environments. The catalogue, produced by Omaha by Design in partnership with the Omaha Community Foundation, was made possible by grants from the Fund for Omaha, the Millard Foundation, the Omaha Community Foundation, the Parker Family Foundation and the Qwest Foundation. For more information on how to donate to a project in the catalogue, visit http://www.omahabydesign.org/the-omaha-catalogue-of-urban-design-philanthropy/.)
Nebraska’s tallgrass prairie has captured the hearts of poets and shaped the lives of a pioneering generation. It’s also tested the mettle of those intent upon preserving its unique place in the American landscape, as less than five percent remains.
A local success story will be celebrated Wednesday, May 26, with the dedication of the Glacier Creek wildlife corridor. The event, hosted by the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) Department of Biology and the Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District (NRD), will mark the acquisition of 83 acres of land adjacent to the Allwine Prairie Preserve, one of the oldest restored tallgrass prairies in the nation. The land, which will protect a habitat corridor between the prairie and the Big Papillion Creek, will also provide for wetland and stream restoration.
The land purchase was funded by a grant from the Nebraska Environmental Trust, the Papio-Missouri River NRD and UNO. The university is working with officials from the Papio-Missouri River NRD to plan stream and wetland restoration on the site, said Alicia Mullarkey, preserve manager with the UNO Department of Biology.
“Thanks to the generosity of our donors, the site will become a place where future generations can study and learn to appreciate our natural heritage,” said Dr. Tom Bragg, preserve director and a member of the biology faculty at UNO.
The ceremony will include remarks by UNO Chancellor John Christensen, Jim Thompson, chair of the Papio-Missouri River NRD Board of Directors, and Mark Brohman, executive director of the Nebraska Environmental Trust. Author John Price, a member of the UNO faculty, will read a passage from his book, “Not Just Any Land.” Native American flutist Michael Murphy and dancers from UNO’s The Moving Company will perform. The dedication will be followed by a walking tour of the prairie.
Future plans for the site include the development of a unique environmental education-research facility featuring lab space, classrooms for education and research, and a residential component that will house visiting scholars and the preserve’s on-site manager. Randy Brown Architects has created a conceptual model of the facility, which has been recognized for its sustainable green design.
For more information or to donate to the Glacier Creek Project, contact Dr. Bragg at 402.554.3378 or tbragg@unomaha.edu or visit www.unomaha.edu/prairie.