This is a sample only and is no longer valid as an event!

How the Lek Trek works

The Lek Trek is a walk across Missouri, a distance of about 565 miles, through the best of what is left of Missouri's tallgrass prairie. "Lek" is another name for the courtship grounds of the greater prairie-chicken, which has been adopted as the campaign's mascot. The walk will begin at the Iowa state line near Hatfield on July 21, 2000 and end at Prairie State Park, near Lamar, on October 14, 2000. A second group of walkers will begin at the Arkansas line near Southwest City on September 22, and meet the north group at Prairie State Park on October 14.

The Lek Trek will travel through sixteen communities and/or public prairies, at which special events are being planned. These events will occur on successive weekends and will typically be arranged around the arrival of the walkers. Lek Trek organizers are working with Grasslands Coalition members, Chambers of Commerce and other organizations to develop fun and interesting festivities that highlight the values of grasslands while creating a memorable experience for participants.

The Lek Trek route is divided into sixteen week-long segments. Each has a team of route volunteers that plans where the walkers will start and stop each day, attractions they will take time for along the way, and logistics such as meals, shuttles and overnight spots.

Most of the route will be walked by a small core of Grasslands Coalition volunteers, but the public can join in frequently. Each week will feature two public walk days, on which everyone will be invited to join the march. Focusing most of the walkers on two days will reduce the logistical concerns for route managers. However, those who wish to participate in the walk may do so on any day, if they are registered. You can register now!

One of these weekly focus days is the Learner Day. It will be held during the week, at the discretion of the route planners, on a stretch of the route that lends itself well to learning about prairie plants or grassland birds and other wildlife. On Learner Days, the Grasslands Coalition will provide naturalists who will share with walkers their knowledge of prairie species and prairie ecology. Lek Trek organizers will encourage schools, environmental groups, scout groups and anyone else with an interest in grassland ecology to take advantage of the opportunity to use the Lek Trek as an outdoor classroom on these days.

The second weekly focus is the Public Walk Day. Typically, these will occur on the Saturday of the special event for that week. Walkers will begin a tour of 3 to 5 miles, ending at the site of the special event.