Now that seed collecting is over, work turns to brush control. November is an ideal time, since all the living vegetation has senesced and the ground is still snowless. Our…

We are cooperating with the Tree-Ring, Earth, and Environmental Sciences Laboratory (TREES) of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville on their study on drought and climate change over the past 300 years…

Prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis) is a highly desirable grass (C value of 10), that is often included in prairie plantings but can also be found in the native state. According…

Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) is a biennial invasive weed in the figwort family. The first year it is a low-growing rosette and the second year it sends up a tall, ugly,…

After a series of rainy days a high pressure came in, leading to a sunny and warm Sunday afternoon. Kathie, Emily, and I took the Mule to the top of…

Now is a good time to think about planting herbaceous species as part of an oak savanna restoration. Although planting can be done either spring or fall, the latter is…

Our annual seed collecting event was held Sunday Oct 13 2013 at Pleasant Valley Conservancy and Black Earth Rettenmund Prairie. A total of 20 people participated in part or all…

The Society for Ecological Restoration had its 5th World Conference Oct 7-11, 2013 in Madison. On Oct 11 Pleasant Valley Conservancy was pleased to help host the field trip on…

This has been a great year for purple milkweed growth and reproduction. I summarized the extent of growth and flowering at the end of June. Fortunately, rainfall has continued throughout the…

Sky blue aster (Aster oolentangiensis) is now in full bloom. This attractive but delicate plant is found primarily in dry to dry-mesic prairies. When we first started restoration, this species was…