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This progressive change can be attributed to the efforts of the local Conservation District, the Department of Agriculture and approval from the County Commission.

Mike Merriwether from the Conservation District, District Conservationist, Pepper Bromelmeier from the U.S.D.A., and Soil Conservationist Abby Smith, also from the U.S.D.A. have overseen and participated in the field's planting.

"At its heart, this is a reclamation project" said Ms. Smith. It is more however.

Bromelmeier added that, "Not only is the entire field planted with native grasses, there are also three 20' x 20' plots of experimental plants."

The Department of Agriculture maintains a Plant Materials Center in Rose Lake, Michigan.

The Barnes Park site was chosen to field-test three species of prairie grasses: Icy Blue Canada Wildrye, Riverbank Canada Wildrye, and Koch Prairie Sandreed. A specialist sent up by the center feeling positive about the plants' chances since samplings of both the Canada Wildrye and Prairie Sandreed were found growing out on the beach at Barnes Park.

On this cool June day, as the small crew plugged away at planting their plugs in the measured, gridded plots, they were dwarfed by the spacious field. The task looked almost insurmountable.

But what an important effort this is. With every turn of the spiral planter or cut of the spade a new nest was made for the delicate seedlings. As each plant's roots were lowered and packed in place with the sandy soil, a new gift was made to future generations. All of a sudden nothing seemed small about this work or the promise that it held or even the hope it inspired. Nothing seems slight when the realization is made that programs like these and their dedicated servants are building an environmental future, one field of dreams at a time.