It is hard to believe that the Sandhill Crane Wet Prairie is only in its third growing season. We have had so many successes here, including the best Indian grass…

Today Kathie and I participated in a work party at Black Earth Rettenmund Prairie. The goal was to find the last sweet clover plants, those that had come up late…

This week Kathie and I went to Minnesota to attend the 21st North American Prairie Conference at Winona State University. This event, held every two years, brings together researchers and…

We are just finishing our "sweet clover season." This species, Melilotus alba, is a real problem in prairie restoration, but rarely a problem elsewhere. The photo here (by Matt Ziehr)…

Rattlesnake plantain (Goodyera pubescens) is now in full bloom at Pleasant Valley Conservancy. This is probably the most common orchid in dry sites in southern Wisconsin woodlands.We have only a…

The oak savanna habitat is characterized by an open canopy, ranging from about 10% to 50%. As part of my work on purple milkweeds, I was interested in measuring the…

Purple milkweed (Asclepias purpurascens) is an Endangered Species which I have been studying extensively. The goal is to develop conservation methods to permit its establishment at new sites and get…

Culver's root (Veronicastrum virginianum) is a "strikingly handsome" plant that seems to have a wide range of habitats. At Pleasant Valley Conservancy we have it growing in wet mesic, mesic,…

Upland boneset (Eupatorium sessilifolium) is a Special Concern species in Wisconsin. We had a small native population when we began savanna restoration. Although it is found throughout eastern North America,…

Purple Joe Pye weed (Eupatorium purpureum) is now in full bloom. This tall, handsome species is often seen in small amounts in southern Wisconsin woodlands, but proliferates substantially during savanna…