Sumac is one of those native species that can become a major problem in prairie and savanna restoration. Some folks simply let it exist, which is a mistake. It is…

Mullein (Verbascum thapsis), also called flannel plant, is a large sprawling weed that loves to colonize bare ground. It is a biennial which in its second years sends up a…

We are getting near the end of our seed collecting. Today, Kathie collected heath aster (Aster ericoides) and I collected Tinker's weed (Triosteum perfoliatum).Heath aster is interesting because it is…

I am slowly learning the capabilities of ArcGIS, the widely used mapping software that has elements of database and graphics arts. I have been able to bring in two air…

In my post on the North Woods burn, I mentioned that oak leaves were ideal because they carry a fire well. The photo here shows a typical forest floor in…

Let me emphasize that the images here are "not" from Pleasant Valley Conservancy. They are from an area that was cleared of all buckthorn about 10 years ago and then…

I am in the process of learning ArcGIS 9.3, the fairly complex software by ESRI that is going to be one of my major tools for long-term management of our…

I returned today and did a detailed assessment of the quality of the North Woods burn that we had done on Thursday (see last post).I used my Garmin GPS in…

Starting the burn of the north-facing woods. The first line of fire was started at the bottom of the ridge.Getting controlled burns done in the fall is tricky, as the…

What we are calling the East Basin (Unit 22 on the management map) is still much of a work in progress. This 4 acre basin at the far east of…