When we started restoration about 15 years ago, the parcel under discussion here consisted of a small clone of quaking aspen, about 0.2 acres. The trees were girdled in 1998…

Have other prairie restorationists observed this? At Black Earth Rettenmund Prairie a major dieback of Silphium species is occurring. Strikingly, at Rettenmund this has only occurred in the areas that…

As the photo here attests, fringed gentian (Gentianopsis crinita) is an extremely handsome plant. It was first discovered for us by a participant on our Labor Day 2014 field trip,…

Baltimore checkerspot at Pleasant Valley Conservancy Turtlehead (Chelone glabra) in the Valley Prairie The primary larval host of the Baltimore checkerspot (Euphydryas phaeton) is the White Turtlehead (Chelone glabra), a…

Bur oaks are amazing trees! Long-lived, powerful, fire-resistant, and providing great ecological support for a wide range of creatures. In fact, many long-lived bur oaks are not giant trees, but…

The Monarch butterfly is a species of great conservation interest. The survival of monarchs is linked to milkweeds. Monarch caterpillars eat only milkweeds, and monarch females lay their eggs on…

I have made several improvements to the Pleasant Valley Conservancy Trail Map. The link here gives access and a low-resolution version is shown below. Also, the web site has access to a…

We finally found time to remow the wetland trail that forms a loop between the end of the Boardwalk and the barn. The interns did this on their last day,…

In our area there are four species of Rudbeckia that might be present in a remnant or restoration. Also, Ratibida pinnata is generally present and may sometimes confuse things. These…

Large-flowered false foxglove (Aureolaria grandiflora) is one of the great members of the oak savanna flora. Its savanna dependence derives from its absolute requirement for parasitism on roots of members…