Upon viewing the oak savanna landscape at Pleasant Valley Conservancy it is natural to wonder about the ages of the trees. Many of the oaks, especially the burs, appear to…

Pennsylvania sedge (Carex pensylvanica) is a widespread sedge in Wisconsin wooded areas. It spreads primarily by rhizome growth and can make fairly large mats in favorable areas. At Pleasant Valley…

Despite the difficult weather, we had a great 2014 burn season at Pleasant Valley Conservancy. We burned a total of 84.2 acres. Here is the breakdown: March 29: prairie, 23…

Shooting star (Dodecatheon meadii) is one of the early flowering plants in our area. Although it is found often in high-quality prairies, at Pleasant Valley Conservancy its principal habitat is…

Black Earth Rettenmund Prairie State Natural Area is one of the treasures of The Prairie Enthusiasts and has been under intensive management since TNC first bought the property over 25…

Smooth brome (Bromus inermis) is widespread in our area and is one of the most difficult species to get rid of. Several characteristics are particularly significant: Cool season grass that…

Preserving the tallgrass prairie Kansas http://www.ksfire.org Leads to a page with a 29 min YouTube video Focus is on use of fire by private landowners Nice that they call their…

Research work and restoration work are often in conflict. It is the purpose of this note to make a plea for the application of common sense in the selection of…

Bur oaks are very resistant to damage by fire. However, they do age and the trunks do get hollow, opening them up to fire damage. In our savanna burn of…

Last Sunday we had very favorable weather and a great crew and got almost all of our remaining burns finished. See this post for the earlier burn. Burn crew getting…