Those who follow these posts know what we think about sumac. Get rid of it! And now that it has turned red, this is the ideal time.Yesterday, all five of…

Today the culmination of a long process of fund raising and negotiation came to an end with the dedication by the Natural Heritage Land Trust of the Westport Drumlin property…

Acorns are the most important wildlife food in Midwest deciduous forests ("the ecological equivalent of manna from heaven"; McShea and Healy, 2002; see reference below) Mast is a term used…

This is peak fall color for shrubs and a perfect time to canvas for areas that need to be controlled. Sumac is the main culprit. Once you start looking for…

For some years we have been unsuccessful in growing prairie (downy) gentian (Gentiana puberulenta), but suddenly we have six or seven good areas in the Ridge Prairie. This small planted…

Yesterday was a great day for seed collecting (until the rain started at 3 PM!). My job was to collect Virginia wild rye (Elymus virginicus), a nice rye grass that…

The photo above is of a prairie and savanna remnant developing on a steep south-facing slope with a thin, stony soil. Even without doing any quantitative measurements, it is easy…

September ushers in seed collecting as a major restoration activity. Suddenly lots of species are ready to collect, and from now until early November each week will bring on several…

We have now created a new trail map that provides a more complete view of Pleasant Valley Conservancy. This map is available in a dispenser at the trail entrance. The…

Two weeks ago I mentioned a technique we had developed for controlling Canada goldenrod. This invasive native is often a problem in prairie restoration. Since it is clonal, it often…