In a July post I noted that all of the ferns in one of our north-facing woods had died and were completely crisp from the drought. The ferns seemed more…

Despite the drought, we now have quite a few species of goldenrods in full flower, both in the prairies and savannas. Although not as deep rooted as the Silphiums, they…

The Annual Labor Day field trip at Pleasant Valley Conservancy will be held this Monday, Sept. 3, from 1-4 PM. This is an excellent time to see the prairie in…

This year at the Prairie Enthusiasts annual meeting in February Kathie and I donated to the Silent Auction a "free" field trip . As it happened, Jack Kussmaul, President of…

This has turned out to be a great year for prairie dock (Silphium terebinthenaceum), which is interesting considering the continuing drought. All our prairie dock sites are very lush, and…

Our wetland plants continue to thrive. One of my favorites is cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis; C value of 7). Not too hard to know where that name came from! In…

The Annual Labor Day field trip at Pleasant Valley Conservancy will be held Monday Sept. 3 from 1-4 PM. This is a great time to see the prairies and savannas…

Thursday evening we had a nice visit from folks of the Blue Mounds Area Project (BMAP). This is a community-based organization that seeks to "inspire, inform and empower private landowners…

Now that we have the beavers under control (thanks to Lon!), we have made a new wetland trail that gives access to the creek, springs, sedge meadow, and cattail area.…

Kathie and I attended the 2012 North American Prairie Conference, which was held at the University of Manitoba, in Winnipeg, Canada in early August. I have submitted a report on…