Just a stone’s throw from the Stonewall & District Healthcare, a hidden gem awaits – the Ruby Roe Tall Grass Prairie. This untouched land, a tribute to community dedication and environmental stewardship, stands as a living legacy of preservation.
The tall grass prairie, named after Ruby Roe, stands as a testament to her dedication to the community. After retiring in 1988, she made Stonewall her home and founded REACT, the town’s environmental organization, in 1991. One of her significant contributions was the preservation of this patch of land, ensuring its untouched beauty for future generations.
Today, her name and the land are still honoured. On June 15, REACT brought the community together to celebrate the tall grass prairie and the native species that thrive there. The tradition of cleaning up the prairie began in 2007, but the annual celebration did not begin until 2009.
Joining REACT on this day was Aimee McDonald of Prairie Flora Greenhouse of Teulon, who came with a pop-up shop of native grasses, many of which can be found on the Ruby Roe plot. Monarch butterfly farmer Alicia Francisco Michel from Stonewall, also attended, for the second year in a row, with a detailed display of information on the life cycles of monarchs, as well as tangible examples: monarch eggs and cocoons. Later in the year, she will display the later stages of life, chrysalis and butterfly.
Also joining in on the fun and enhancing the experience was Bryana Nicolas, a biologist with the province of Manitoba, recommended by John Morgan, an expert tall grass prairie specialist from Argyle and one of the biologists who has guided the tour of the prairie in the past events. This time, it was Nicolas’ turn to guide visitors through the complex world of plants and grasses on the Ruby Roe land. As the group strolled across the prairie, Nicolas discussed subjects such as what attracts pollinators, how different prairie plants and grasses survive, what the prairie may have looked like centuries before our time, and the conservation status of various plants, including milkweed and lady slippers.
Tribune Photos by Emma McGill
“When I get to a prairie, I kind of read it like a book,” said Nicolas as she knelt down in front of various growths and showed the group how to help certain plants spread their seeds, told of the history of plants like northern bedstraw and of the historic fire cycles of the tallgrass prairie. Her anecdotes included stories of “sleeping sheep,” which were large rocks left alone in the ground that appeared from afar to be sleeping animals, and how darker patches of grass in a field are likely locations of old anthills, which create more organic soil.
“I love talking to people who are passionate about prairies, and who want to enhance habitat at their home,” said Nicolas. “There was such a strong feel for community at the Ruby Roe Prairie, and that was really great to experience.”
Both the REACT team and Nicolas believe that every little bit people can do for the environment helps:
Planting native grasses.
Learning what plants are problematic and pulling them.
Composting.
Disposing of waste responsibly.
The Ruby Roe Tall Grass Prairie is not only a landmark of Stonewall and the Interlake that brings the community together to learn, but it also provides a safe habitat for many endangered species of plants, grassland birds, and insects.
