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The Nature Conservancy in Missouri Home Contact Places We Protect Field Trips & Events Press Releases Volunteer Ways of Giving |
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Shelton L. Cook Meadow
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The Shelton L. Cook Meadow has more diversity in wildflower populations within a Missouri prairie according to expert botanists. It explodes with color in the late spring when most of the flowers are in bloom.
Why You Should Visit
This high-quality prairie remnant is a splendid example of the Osage Plains prairie communities that once dominated the northern and western portions of Missouri.
Location
Barton county, southeast of Lamar
Hours
Daylight
Size
301.6 acres
Conditions
The best time to go is during the spring and early summer, when the flowers are in bloom and the grasses are growing. Gently rolling hills make for easy hiking, although grass clumps can turn an ankle. July and August can be quite hot.
How to Prepare for Your Visit
Check the local weather forecast and dress accordingly. Long pants and sleeves, hiking boots, drinking water, hat and compass are recommended. During warm weather, light color and light-weight clothing is suggested. Repellent, binoculars, and field guide(s) are also worth bringing.
Preserve Visitation Guidelines
What to See: Plants
This gently rolling prairie is home to several endangered sedges, including Harvey's beak rush and fringed nutrush, as well as the federally endangered Mead's milkweed. Spectacular prairie wildflower displays showcase more than 300 native plants on the site.
What to See: Animals
Cook Meadow is also a good place to see the upland plover, along with other typical birds of the region: scissor-tailed flycatcher, dickcissel, and Henslow's and vesper sparrows.
Why the Conservancy Selected This Site
Cook Meadow is one of the highest quality and most diverse prairie remnants in the Osage Plains, with more than 400 documented plant species.
What the Conservancy Has Done/Is Doing
We are using several methods to maintain a high quality prairie system, including prescribed fire, aggressive woody vegetable reduction work, and exotic species control programs. The Conservancy is collecting native seed at Cook Meadow for restoration of prairies in the Osage Plains.
