The University of Minnesota Southwest Research and Outreach Center (SWROC) is committed to advancing research and education about native prairie ecology through the restoration and development of an on-site remnant prairie.

On a prairie mission

Exploration of the SWROC site in 2002 revealed a wide range of existing natural features, encouraging scientists and researchers to begin working toward restoration of the prairie’s ecological integrity and biological diversity. Ultimately, SWROC seeks to serve as a prominent resource for natural resources and environmental science focusing on native prairie composition and habitat. PrairieU, the program developed to carry out this mission, offers unique, hands-on outdoor learning opportunities for kindergarten through high school programs, undergraduate courses and research projects.

Tallgrass prairie near Lamberton

The prairie is the grassland of North America. In the edge covered by present-day Minnesota, there were 18 million acres of tallgrass prairie. Southwest Minnesota sits in the heart of the original tallgrass region. The remnant prairie at SWROC is located a few miles northwest of Lamberton, Minnesota, a small town in southwestern Minnesota at 44.237776N, 95.273946W, in the northern part of the Great Plains region. The SWROC native prairie site is part of the Redwood and Cottonwood River systems, which drain into the Minnesota River.

Restoring the prairie

Today, less than one percent of Minnesota’s prairie land remains. Ironically, the richness of the wild prairie soil, so suitable for agriculture production, led to the end of the wild prairie as a large scale biome. Restoring the prairie is vital to bringing back a valuable natural environment.