We were favored again at Pleasant Valley Conservancy in 2015 with the expert bird surveys by Roma Lenehan. She did her first bird survey at PVC in 2008 and has…

Wild quinine (Parthenium integrifolium; sometimes called "American feverfew") is having a banner year at Pleasant Valley Conservancy. This plant, listed by the USDA as Endangered in Minnesota and Maryland, Threatened…

There is a lot of invasive brush removed in our area by volunteers. For scattered shrubs, hand loppers often work best, often as a two-person job, one on the loppers,…

Woodland sunflower (Helianthus divaricatus) is definitely an invasive species and can take over prairies, savannas, pastures, and even backyards. I get questions about how to control it. The only way…

This summer promises to be a fine one at Black Earth Rettenmund Prairie. The great spring burns and the consistent June rainfall have combined to bring along outstanding floral displays.…

New Jersey tea (Ceanothus americanus) is now in full bloom and we have a lot of nice examples on our ridge-top savanna (Unit 11A). This Unit is especially interesting because…

Yesterday we had a nice visit at Pleasant Valley Conservancy from Paul West, his family, and friends.  Paul played a major role in the early days of Pleasant Valley Conservancy,…

Wild parsnip (Pastinaca sativa) is one of the "bad guys" in southern Wisconsin, and many restoration projects spend a lot of time attempting to eradicate it. We had lots of…

The year 2013 was a great year for pale purple coneflower (Echinacea pallida) and 2015 seems to be another good year. Pale purple coneflower patch on a dry lime prairie…

Wood lilies (Lilium philadelphicum) are blooming now but you have to be quick or you will miss them. Last year we had more success than usual at Pleasant Valley Conservancy,…