Two hundred years ago, nearly two-thirds of Illinois was covered in prairie. Today, less than 0.01% of that prairie land remains. The rest has been lost to agricultural development, urbanization and the presence of invasive species.

Enter Northwestern’s Prairie Cats Ecological Restoration Club. Founded in spring 2023, Prairie Cats focuses on reintroducing native plant species, like prairie grasses and wildflowers, to the local ecosystem.

“It’s about letting the biodiversity of the environment dominate,” Weinberg junior and Prairie Cats Vice President Simon Kissel said. “Usually — if you do it successfully — the native species will be able to take over.”

Kissel has been involved in prairie restoration projects since high school. He said restoring native species to natural spaces is necessary across the Midwest, but especially in an urban environment like Evanston.

So far, Prairie Cats’ main project has been a native pollinator garden outside Norris University Center in the Wild Roots Garden. Kissel said the goal is to eventually make it a self-sustaining ecosystem, where native species can flourish without needing continued hands-on maintenance.

As the garden continues to grow, club duties include removing weeds and planting more native seed mixes, Kissel said. He added that Prairie Cats plans to expand the pollinator garden further and continue restoring prairie species to other natural areas on campus, a process that will take years.

But restoring even a small patch of land can have a big impact, Weinberg junior and club treasurer Jonathan Chen said. Chen said when native vegetation disappears, Illinois wildlife and pollinators suffer. Reintroducing those species can help them recover and attract more tiny visitors to campus.

“Later in the spring, you’ll see a ton of bees and butterflies around the garden,” Chen said. “I mean, that patch of hillside by Norris just looks completely different from the long grass that was there two years ago.”

In March, Prairie Cats received funding from the Associated Student Government’s New Student Org Fund. Chen said the roughly $300 helped the club buy new seeds, tools and supplies for their on-campus garden.

This financial support also helps the club expand its efforts beyond campus. Prairie Cats volunteers with the Forest Preserves of Cook County to remove invasive species from prairie spaces in Evanston. Last weekend, members visited Ladd Arboretum to cut down invasive buckthorn trees, an activity Chen called “cathartic.”

Beyond the ecological benefits of the club’s work, Weinberg junior and club president Rocco Cappelletti said Prairie Cats has allowed them to apply their environmental science studies outside of the classroom.

“I think it’s super important to get outside and get your hands on the environment around you,” Cappelletti said. “It’s helping me to understand the physical aspect of … all the things I’m interested in.”

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