Land Trust Hosted Events
May 20, 2012
Spring Flowers at Schurch-Thomson Prairie
From the intersection of US Hwy 18-151 and County F (south of Blue Mounds in western Dane County), take F approximately 5 miles south. Turn right onto Reilly Road, and proceed to parking lot and kiosks at the end of the road (past the barn). (Note: A half mile down F from 18-151, pay close attention to the road signs, for F turns to the right & the straight ahead road becomes County Z. Stay on F.)
1:00 pm - 3:30 pm
Come hike into the secluded valley of the Schurch-Thomson and Underwood prairies. Shooting stars should be in full bloom in spectacular displays of 10s of thousands, along with other late-spring prairie flowers such as the striking cream wild indigo, puccoons, and alumroot. We will also see prairie plantings and inter-seedings of various ages. Schurch-Thomson Prairie is a 160-acre unit of TPE’s 570-acre Mounds View Grassland preserve and it is adjacent to the privately owned Underwood Prairie (Hanley Family Trust), for which TPE has a management agreement to manage and restore prairie on approximately 20 acres. The hike will include extensive grassland bird habitat filled with bobolinks, meadowlarks, grasshopper sparrows, upland sandpipers, and Henslow’s sparrows. So bring binoculars, a hat, and sunscreen, and be prepared for a long hike.
May 22, 2012
Restoration of bluff prairie and oak savanna in Chester Woods
This Olmsted county park is on US 14, 3 miles west of Eyota and ~5 miles west of Rochester. Check at the park contact station that evening for exact meeting place.
7:00 PM
Prairie Smoke contributed $5000 to help with work to cut buckthorn and other brush to restore bluff prairie at this park and two other sites. Come see the results – how the vistas are opened up, prairie and savanna plants should be thriving, and providing a home for savanna dependent species. Co-sponsored by Zumbro Valley Audubon.
There is an entry fee to this park. We hope to have motorized transportation available for up to 20 people, but some might have to walk the 2-3 miles to see the work sites.
May 23, 2012
Volunteer/Member Cookout
8288 Highway Q Baileys Harbor Wisconsin
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Join the staff, volunteers, and the Board of The Ridges in a cookout on the lawn of the Upper Range Light. Lots of visiting and fun around the grill! Bring a dish to pass and your own place setting if you can.
May 24, 2012
Creating a Plant Inv. for a Native Remnant - Foster Cemetery
From North Main Street in River Falls, turn west at stoplight on to West Maple Street. Proceed approx. 9 blocks on Maple. Turn south on Apollo Road. There is a sign on a pole directing to the River Falls Waste Water Treatment Plant. Drive south to the plant gate parking area. We will meet at The River Falls Waste Water Treatment Plant and from there we will shuttle to the starting point of the hike.
6:00 PM
The St. Croix Valley Chapter of TPE is actively managing several native prairie and oak savanna remnants in the River Falls area. A part of our management activities includes the development of comprehensive plant species lists for each site. These outings will provide everyone with an opportunity to hone their plant identification skills while helping develop the species lists. Everyone is encouraged to attend, even if their identification skills are at the beginner level. Several members with good plant identification skills will be at each event to help those who wish to further develop their own skills.
Difficulty: The hike includes hills, valley, and uneven terrain.
May 24, 2012
Sugar River Oak Savanna
From the intersection of CTH M and PD (north of Verona and SW of Madison) take PD west 3.0 miles to Timber Lane, turn right (north) on to Timber Lane and then immediately turn left into a joint driveway. Proceed to the brick house (2845 Timber Lane). Park in mowed lawn (please do not block the neighbor’s driveway).
6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
This diverse 9-acre oak savanna is a preserve of The Prairie Enthusiasts, managed by the Empire-Sauk Chapter. Although it still shows some signs of past use as a pasture, it is recovering nicely with nearly 400 native plant species now present. It has been managed with frequent fire since 1976. A wide array of late-spring wildflowers will be in bloom, including wood betony, shooting star, cream Baptisia, wild lupine, and golden Alexander.
