When Kathie and I purchased (in 1980) the property that has now become Pleasant Valley Conservancy, we were not aware of its potential value as a natural area. Even when we started restoration work (in 1995) we had only a glimmer of understanding of its value. As work continued, we began to realize more and more the value of the site. A major reason was because of the appreciation we developed for the large open-grown bur oaks that were the main occupiers of the south-facing slope and the ridge top.

In 1997 a large bur oak on the ridge top came down in a storm. A neighbor cut a slice from the stump, and we found that this tree was 200 years old. Start date 1797.

In years 2010-2012 we marked every tree on the Conservancy over 10″ in diameter with a permanent marker, and recorded its GPS coordinates and species. Using GIS software, I have mapped every recorded tree. Some of the data can be seen on the PVC website.

In 2013 researchers from the TREES laboratory at UW-Platteville cored 10 large bur oaks scattered across the ridge top, as part of a major dendrochronological study. The table summarizes the data. The location of each Unit  # can be found on the Management Map available on the PVC website.