Wet prairies are one expression of this once vast prairie biome. Today, Audubon is supporting the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers in the continued restoration of 1,200 acres of prairie marsh at the Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary, an effort the Corps initiated in 1988 to bring back an example of pre-settlement grassland habitat found in the Great Rivers Confluence area.

Our goals are improved conditions for breeding, migrating and overwintering birds, and self-sustaining production of both native grassland seed and plants to promote healthy grassland habitat at Riverlands that can support bird populations long-term.

Priority birds for this project include: Bell’s Vireo, Dickcissel, Eastern Meadowlark, Grasshopper Sparrow, Henslow’s Sparrow, Northern Bobwhite, Northern Harrier, Sedge Wren, Short-eared Owls, and Willow Flycatcher.

The Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary is a critical stopover for 326 bird species utilizing the Mississippi Flyway. We appreciate the opportunity to work with the Corps in maintaining and improving Riverlands as a vital source of food, shelter and safe passage for thousands of birds. We thank the Missouri Bird Conservation Initiative (MoBCI) for supporting grassland restoration at Riverlands.

What Can You Do?

We need volunteers to help with seed collection, maintain our native plant garden at the Audubon Center, and educate the public native plants and birds. We also welcome your ongoing financial support to help sustain our conservation work!