Paint Brush Prairie Conservation Area

The northwest portion of this 314-acre area has been designated a natural area, which protects a diverse plant community of more than 200 tallgrass prairie plants, including the federally endangered Mead’s milkweed. Slightly raised circular mounds measuring up to 12 feet in diameter, known as mima mounds or prairie mounds, are found on the area. Their origin is open to debate. 

This area has been designated by Audubon Missouri as an Important Bird Area (IBA). This area is a remnant of a once vast prairie ecosystem that provides habitat for a diverse group of plants and animals. Because less than 1/2 of 1 percent of our original prairie remains, some of these species have become increasingly rare.