Driving DirectionsFrom Sedalia, take Highway 65 south 10 miles, then Manila Road east. HighlightsThis area is native prairie and contains Paint Brush Prairie Natural Area (74 acres). About This AreaThe Conservation Department acquired this native remnant prairie in 1978. It is currently 314 acres in size.The northwest portion of the area has been designated a natural area, which protects a diverse plant community of over 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 still open to debate.This area has been designated by Audubon Missouri as an Important Bird Area (IBA). IBAs are sites that have been identified by Audubon as the most crucial for bird populations, due to their abundance and/or diversity of birds present.High quality grasslands are important habitat for many species. This area is a remnant of a once vast prairie ecosytem that provides habitat for a diverse group of plants and animals. Because less than one-half of one percent of our original prairie remains, some of these species have become increasingly rare.Area managers use prescribed fire, grazing, and other management practices to maintain healthy grasslands, simulate historic disturbances and limit the negative impacts of invasive plants.Species of conservation concern which find a home on this area include Mead's milkweed, pink katydids, and prairie chickens. MDC has implemented a Mead's milkweed restoration project on this prairie.