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Pleasant Valley Conservancy State Natural Area Pleasant Valley Conservancy State Natural Area No. 551 is a 140 acre Preserve in western Dane County, Wisconsin. It consists of extensive restored oak savannas, dry, mesic, and wet prairies, wetlands, and oak woods. Scenic views and wildlife viewing are excellent, and a two-mile hiking trail provides ready access into the heart of the Preserve. Especially noteworthy at Pleasant Valley are the fine oak savannas, once common in the Midwest but now very rare. The Preserve has many large open-grown white and bur oaks, which can be viewed from Pleasant Valley Road, and seen close up from the trail. Red-headed woodpeckers, a characteristic bird of oak savannas, breed at the Preserve and can frequently be seen from the upper ridge trail. Over 300 species of flowering plants have been recorded. Pleasant Valley Conservancy is a site of The Prairie Enthusiasts (TPE), an organization active in the upper Midwest. Part of the Conservancy is owned by TPE and the rest is permanently protected by a conservation easement donated to TPE by Kathie and Tom Brock.
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News and Recent Activities
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New pages have been developed on the six planted prairies at Pleasant Valley Conservancy. Each of these prairies is distinct and the history of how each was established and managed is given in these pages. Click here for an overview and link to each prairie.
The formal dedication of Pleasant Valley Conservancy as a State Natural Area took place on Saturday, June 7, 2008. Over 100 people attended in what turned out to be unsettled weather. Field trips had to be abbreviated, but the reception in the barn was well attended and everyone seemed to have a good time. Click here for dedication program
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