A Guide to Minnesota's Prairie Passage Route and Sites

One of the guides to the six-State Prairie Passage.

Precious Postcards from the prairies of Minnesota.

From a sea of grass to waves of grain.

Transportation systems in the United States helped shape the development of the country. The stories found in this history provide opportunities today through education, recreation, economic development, and ecologically sound right of way management. Prairie Passage, a national effort, promotes awareness of natural and cultural resources in the "Heartland" of the U.S. Prairie Passage partners encourage the protection and planting of native wildflowers and grasses along roadsides. Prairie Passage efforts provide opportunities for communities to discover the stories in the prairie heritage, past, present, and future.

The Prairie Passage signs and interpretive materials were designed to lead travelers to the history and the rich stories. Educational and interpretive information was designed to support Context Sensitive Design (CSD) principles. The Guide to Minnesota's Prairie Passage Route and Sites provides travelers with a number of public sites where they can learn about the prairie and the transportation systems that have shaped their lives. The guide is distributed at Travel Information Centers, Convention Visitor Bureaus, Chambers of Commerce, and through many state parks, environmental learning centers and other similar locations. Many sites have detailed interpretive displays of their own. Many other sites intend to add interpretation in the future, as their budgets permit.

The series of photo note cards was designed far use in a more personal, individual sense, The cards are used for sending notes of appreciation or congratulations and other similar kinds of correspondence. The note cards are produced in house as needed. Requests have been made to mass produce the cards and have them available for sale in same of the communities surrounding Prairie Passage sites. To date this haw rat been done.

The forty-page guide and photo note cards are part of a larger 'package' of educational and interpretive materials. Other items include a series of three posters (Tallgrass Prairie People, Tallgrass Prairie Animals, Tallgrass Prairie Plants); a small brochure featuring Southwestern Minnesota's Prairie Passage Route and Sites; Roadside metal signs marking the Prairie Passage Route and Sites; and informational kiosks located at two rest areas along the Prairie Passage Route. Public response to these items and the concept of Prairie Passage itself has been overwhelmingly positive. A representative response: "I'm the proud recipient of the guide. It is fantastic! Stunning! The concept is mind boggling as a whole. It captures the cultural and natural history in one idea...a fantastic idea and document."

Graphic design by: Paula Gustafson
Note card photography & design by: David Larson
Guide photography by: David Larson, Kathryn Boltin, John Gregor, Linda Huhn, Robert Darn, Kelly Randall, Weldon Lee, Platt Stafford, Steve Wait:, Erik Hahn, & Verto.