Many of the invasive plants that we deal with in restoration ecology are rather unremarkable in appearance, so one doesn’t mind getting rid of them. But there are also invasive…

This is shooting star (Dodecatheon meadia) time. At Pleasant Valley Conservancy, we had many sites where this species was remnant. Some even flowered before any restoration work, but lots had…

Oak woodlands need fire, and at Pleasant Valley Conservancy we try to burn our major oak woodland (Units 15 and 16) at least biennially. The big burn in November 2016 was…

It is easy to identify a tree as a member of the genus Quercus (“oak”), yet often difficult to distinguish a specimen at the species level. This is especially true…

Generally prairie burns in the fall are not too successful because grass, the principal fuel, has not yet fully cured. However, last fall was especially favorable for curing and prairie…

The little bluestem in our tallgrass prairie is so lush that the underlying growth pattern can’t be seen until it is burned. A close look at the burned half of…

Given the right fuel and weather, oak savanna burns can be as complete as prairie burns. However, there are times when unburned patches remain after burning is otherwise complete. Although…

The year 2017 was without a doubt the most successful burn year that we have had at Pleasant Valley Conservancy. If we include the North Woods burn that was done…

Scattered dead trees are characteristic of oak savannas. Some of these trees are fire-sensitive species such as birch and cherry, whereas others are oaks that die as part of the…

The original Wisconsin highways were cut through vast acreages of remnant prairies. Of course, once a highway is created, development follows. The information below came from the Wisconsin DOT web…