Water is a most precious resource. Prairies adapt to the changing availability of water. The long taproots of perennial grasses are needed in dry, thick-soiled environments to ensure water availability. Ecologically, what happens when the soil becomes a thin layer?  Which species predominate?   What happens when a dry prairie melds into a wetland environment?  What happens when the prairie meets the river?   

Because Winona is located next to a major river and since there are nearby examples of prairies that range from sand prairie to dry prairie to wet prairie to the special thin-soiled "goat prairie" of the surrounding limestone and sandstone bluffs, we have chosen The Prairie Meets the River as a theme to emphasize the importance of water in the prairie environment.