Our state vaguely resembles the land our forefathers once viewed.

The prairies, which commence at the distance of a mile west of the (James) river, are the most extensive, rich, and beautiful, of any which I have ever seen west of the Mississippi river. They are covered by a coarse wild grass, which attains so great a height that it completely hides a man on horseback in riding through it! (1818)

A rich level plains (bottom lands of Southeast Missouri) covered with heavy forest trees and canebreaks, extends as far as the eye can reach, on both banks of the river, gradually pressed toward the Mississippi where it is subject to semi-annual inundation. (1819)

Grasses in Nowaday county were so nutritious that deer that fed on them were "so fat what when dressed and hung up they would look as white as a dressed sheep." (1882)

Hills (Perry County) are stoney and barren, covered with little timber and high grass. (1821)

Try to imagine Missouri as these explorers saw it. This was a new world full of sights and sounds that were nothing like Europe or the eastern portion of North America. This land was so bizarre to them that they used a variety of words to describe it and denote its distinctiveness from areas they knew. Prairie was a French word that described a grassland. English settlers even used "prairie" over the English word "meadow," because meadow just did not describe what they were seeing.

Savannah, open woodlot and barrens described areas that were a cross between prairie and forest. Trees existed on these sites but were spacious enough to allow sunlight to reach ground for grasses to grow. Savannah was more common that it is today and occurred on hilltops, rocky, south-facing slopes.

Henry Rowe Schoolcraft came through Missouri just before it became a state in 1821. Schoolcraft noted a majority of the land was open woodlands with a lot of grass and little underbrush. Seldom did he mention forested areas that had limited visibility. The forest of today are not like they were in previous times.

The thick, richly forested areas we associate with Missouri were more likely linked to waterways. Much of our state developed with fire sweeping through on a regular basis. Whether started by the natives or lightning, fires burned prairies, savannahs and forest every 5-10 years. Fires reduced the amount of leaf litter and decaying material making the soil open for colonization by grasses and wildflowers. The moist, humid stream areas may have resisted fire and may have burned less frequently. That combined with the ready water supply, made for a rich supply of vegetation.

The description of these waterways included water clarity and lush vegetation. Large canebreaks and huge sycamores characterized the stream zones. This is not too different from what we know of streams today. One thing that stands out, however, is the lack of anyone describing gravel in the streams.

The swamp lands were so formidable that only a select few native tribes and even fewer military groups dwelled within. The Cherokee tribe during forced removal did not traverse the swamps but rather avoided the Bootheel altogether. Trees of 120 feet were common. Tea colored swamp water was home to a huge variety of life that amazed and puzzled early explorers.

It is enticing to imagine our wonderful state the way it was 200 years ago. We can get a glimpse of it through early explorers as well as the numerous natural areas and state parks in Missouri that are dedicated to conserving our natural heritage.

When I think of how our management of the land has changed it so that I cannot see the sights of long ago I feel somewhat cheated. I also wonder if someone 200 years from today will feel the same way about a further modified Missouri when reading about the lad we take for granted today.

Teachers who are interested in learning more about Missouri's natural history can take a free biogeography course at Mingo National Wildlife Refuge on Nov. 6-7. The course is sponsored by the Missouri Department of Conservation and the U.S. fish and Wildlife Service. For more information, call (573) 290-5730.

A.J. Hendershot is an education consultant for the Missouri Department of Conservation.