Buzz 'n' Bloom Prairie 

The Buzz ‘n’ Bloom Prairie is a beautiful flatland which provides a natural history lesson for visitors to Lake Katherine.  It was created to emulate the prairies that once dominated the mid-western United States before being replaced by urban sprawl, agriculture, and other human encroachment.

Originally seeded and planted with a wide variety of species native to the area, a recent study found that at least 66 different native species exist in the nearly two acre prairie, including native grasses and forbs.

Prairie fires caused by lightning strikes originally kept the prairies free of trees and other non-prairie species before they were destroyed by development. Lake Katherine recreates this effect by conducting regular, controlled prairie burns.  By burning the prairie, invasive species are controlled and native species are given a chance to blossom and grow, maintaining a healthy prairie with a wide variety of species.

Three trails wind through the Buzz ‘n’ Bloom prairie, offering visitors a chance to stroll through and experience a taste of what life would have been like when the Chicago area was all prairie and sky.  Come enjoy the beauty of our wonderfully restored and maintained Buzz 'n' Bloom prairie!