We did our first burn this year on 11 March 2016. This was the earliest we have ever burned at Pleasant Valley Conservancy, although in 2012 (the infamous drought year)…

Recently I have been using the original land survey plat maps to determine in detail the size and location of the Empire Prairie. This large prairie was a vast grassland…

The most common vegetation type in southwestern Wisconsin was the oak savanna, characterized by large scattered oaks interspersed with prairie grasses and forbs. This attractive landscape fascinated early explorers and…

Mineral Point Road, from Gammon Road west to the Beltline, travels through one of the most heavily commercial areas in Madison. Which is why it is so startling to see,…

There are only a few prairie species in our area with a Coefficient of Conservatism of 10. One of these is prairie dropseed, (Sporobolus heterolepis), an important grass species which…

The Floristic Quality Index (FQI) has become a widely used measurement of natural areas quality. This standardized tool was developed by Floyd Swink and Gerould Wilhelm at the Morton Arboretum,…

While cataloging my digital photographs from years gone by, I ran across this nice photo that demonstrates well the difference between a burned and an unburned prairie. This photo was…

There is a Pleasant Valley Road and a Pleasant Valley Conservancy, and according to the U.S.G.S. there is a Pleasant Valley, but there is no Pleasant Valley Creek in the…

I'm putting together a PowerPoint presentation on "Fire Management in Oak Savanna Restoration" for the Prairie Enthusiasts annual meeting next month and this has prompted me to delve deep into…

There is very little “on-the-ground” data on the character of southern Wisconsin prairies and oak savanna before restoration work began. By chance I discovered an early detailed report of the…