Prairies are extensive grasslands with a diversity of wildflowers and few shrubs or trees.
Forty percent of present day St. Louis and portions of Kansas City were covered with grasses and wildflowers. Bison, elk, prairie-chickens and many other animals roamed across Missouri's prairies. Today, through agriculture and other human development, we have fewer than 75,000 acres of original prairie in Missouri. Our remaining prairies are home to thousands of plants and insect, bird and other animal species that have lived here for thousands of years. They are part of our natural legacy and are worthy of our protection.