In the winter of 2020, students proposed establishing a native prairie in an area adjacent to the school garden previously mowed.  The area was cleared with the help of a Union Buildings and Grounds crew, and students planted a mix of native prairie grasses and forbs.  Non-native plants are removed by the students and the area is used in the class curriculum to research and compare biodiversity, soil health, and carbon sequestration between mowed areas and reestablished prairie.