The PRAIRIE PROMOTER VOL 21, NO.1 Spring 2008 Grassroots Conservation at Work 2008 Conference and Banquet The Prairie Enthusiasts grew from the efforts of a few persistent individuals. Rich Henderson guided attendees at the 2008 Prairie Enthusiast Conference and Banquet on a tour through the organization’s history. Jim Rogala created the presentation based on a history published in the Spring 2007 Prairie Promoter, enhanced by the input of some of the old-timers. The photo- enhanced trip down memory lane capped off TPE’s annual celebration of prairie restoration and conservation. Over 150 enthusiasts attended this year’s conference and banquet in LaCrosse. They braved the cold of early March to learn about natural lands restoration and protection. The program planned by the Coulee Region Chapter included presentations on topics ranging from large-prairie-remnant management to small-mushroom Keynote speaker Pauline Drobney reflects on the identification. challenges of restoring oak savanna and prairies. “The presenters and exhibitors helped get our Photo by Richard Oberle. collective juices flowing in preparation for a new season of activities out on the prairie,” said Don Nelson, conference committee member. N HIS SSUE Keynote speaker Pauline Drobney kicked off the I T I presentations with a discussion of prairies and oak 2008 Banquet & Conference Page 1 savanna. She focused on the Iowa Prairie Network’s Foxglove Savanna Page 5 work restoring the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge. Layton Easement Page 4 She shared the barriers the Network encountered as well as their successes from her perspective as co-founder and Spring Green Preserve Page 2 past-president of the organization. Sugar River Savanna Page 4 John Harrington, from UW-Madison, gave an update Tools and Techniques Page 3 on the TPE Prairie Remnant database. The prototype has Volunteer Spotlight Page 5 information on remnants in the Empire Sauk and Prairie Announcements Pages 6-8 Bluff regions, but TPE hopes to include the entire TPE Chapter News Pages 8-12 region (see announcement in this Promoter). Each entry New Members and Donors Pages 12-15 includes species lists, inventory visit dates, and soil (Continued on page 3) TPE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OFFICERS Spring Green Preserve Update President Evanne Hunt By Rich Henderson St. Croix Valley Chapter Vice-President Rich Henderson In late November, The Prairie Enthusiasts (via the Secretary vacant Empire-Sauk Chapter) partnered with The Nature Treasurer Kathy Henderson (ex officio) Conservancy to purchase 144 acres of critical natural area DIRECTORS habitat adjacent to the Conservancy’s Spring Green East Jim Rogala, Coulee Region Chapter Preserve in southern Sauk County, Wisconsin. TPE Jim Rachuy Northwest Illinois Chapter purchased the land from Spring Green High Country, Richard Oberle, Empire Sauk Chapter LLC, with grants from the state’s Knowles-Nelson Nick Faessler, Prairie Bluff Chapter Stewardship Fund Program (administered by the Karen Wollenburg, Prairie Sands Chapter Wisconsin DNR) and donations from Tom and Kathie Dan Mueller, Prairie Smoke Chapter Brock and Rich and Kathy Henderson. At closing, TPE Jim Sime, Southwest Chapter transferred title to the Conservancy as an addition to their Jack Kussmaul, member at large Spring Green Preserve. Vacancy, member-at-large Protecting the High Country land was critical to the STAFF well-being and conservation viability of the Spring Green Membership Coordinator Victoria Oberle East Preserve. The Spring Green East Preserve is one of Restoration Ecologist Amy Staffen the most important natural areas in the Midwest. It includes a large, intact bluff prairie, a sand prairie, and TPE was incorporated in Wisconsin in 1987 as a private oak woodlands. Together these provide habitat for dozens nonprofit, tax exempt corporation under section [501(c) 3] of the Internal Revenue Code. Donations are tax-deductible. of endangered, threatened, and special concern species. The newly protected lands include nearly half of the EDITORIAL VOLUNTEERS bluff prairie and much of the oak woodland. In the past, Coulee Region Chapter Don Nelson the steep 200-foot bluffs kept livestock from overgrazing 608-435-6203 [email protected] the prairie. Consequently, the slopes still have a rich Empire Sauk Chapter Cate Harrington prairie flora including compass plant, wood lily, white 608-233-2483 [email protected] camas lily, wood betony, Hill’s thistle (Wisconsin Northwest Illinois Chapter Rickie Rachuy threatened), rough white lettuce (Wisconsin endangered) 815-947-2287 [email protected] Prairie Bluff Chapter Rob Baller and several special concern species such as poppy 608-368-0901 [email protected] mallow, pomme-de-prairie, and Richardson sedge. Rare Prairie Sands Chapter Shelley Hamel and endangered animals including race-runner lizards, [email protected] bull snakes, hog-nose snakes, and timber rattlesnakes. Prairie Smoke Chapter Andrea Mueller Several rare, prairie-restricted insects also live on this land 507-867-9229 [email protected] Prior to its purchase by TPE, the Evans family and Southwest Wisconsin Jesse Bennett jesse@ then Spring Green High Country, LLC, owned the Chapter driftlesslandstewardship.com 608-794-2724 property. The Conservancy managed the bluff prairie on St. Croix Valley Chapter Donna O’Keefe the private holdings in the late 1970s and 1980s under 715-425-7227 [email protected] agreements with the owners but was unable to acquire the The Prairie Promoter Editor Jesse Boyett Anderson land when it came up for sale a number of years ago. The [email protected] land seemed destined for sub-division. The Prairie Promoter is a quarterly publication of The Prairie The new owners decided to give the conservation Enthusiasts. No part of this periodical may be reproduced without community one more chance to protect the ridge top. But permission. We welcome submissions of articles, announcements, now, the Conservancy had commitments elsewhere in the artwork and photographs that are relevant to prairie and savanna state and could not act fast enough to meet the new ecosystems. Mail to local chapter editorial volunteers or e-mail submissions to [email protected]. Use MS Word and do not owner’s needs. Learning of the situation, TPE offered to format. Letters and articles may be edited for length or style. help. TPE bought the land and transferred title to the Computer disks, art, and photographs will be returned. Deadlines Conservancy. In turn, the Conservancy raised the funds for submission of material are March 4 (Spring issue); May 23 needed to create a land management endowment. TPE (Summer issue); August 22 (Fall issue); and November 28 (Winter issue). purchased the land using State Stewardship funds and If you would prefer to receive electronic notification of the accumulated State Stewardship credits generated by lands newsletter please email Victoria at [email protected]. donated to TPE elsewhere. 2 TPE is pleased to have helped secure the permanent (Continued from page 1) protection of this exceptional, high-quality bluff prairie and its adjacent oak woodlands. The acquisition by TPE 2008 Conference and Banquet, was made possible by the donation of title and conservation easement at Pleasant Valley Conservancy, cont... near Black Earth, by Tom and Kathie Brock to TPE in information, management needs, and comments on overall December 2006, and the bargain sale of Sugar River quality, all searchable and linked to a geographical Savanna, near Verona, by Rich and Kathy Henderson to information system (computer mapping). TPE in November 2007 (Story on page four). Before sitting down for the Banquet and Auction and A celebration of the new addition and those involved Raffle, attendees had a chance to visit exhibitors’ booths. in its protection will be held at the preserve on May 17. The exhibitors shared information about lands restoration Details can be found in the Announcements section. and protection as well as enjoying the plants and critters of the prairie and savanna. The Auction and Raffle included items to tempt Tools and Techniques: everyone. Thanks to generous bidding, the raffle and silent auction brought in 1,318 dollars and 779 dollars Easing the Work Load respectively, for chapters and central operations. By Mary Lee Croatt Among other items of business, the Board of Directors announced the formation of a new chapter. The When we first acquired our land, we had younger, Prairie Sands Chapter encompasses Adams, Green Lake, suppler bodies, minimal equipment, and abundant Juneau, Marquette, Portage, Waupaca, and Waushara enthusiasm. The passing years have taken some of the counties in Wisconsin. Officers include President Karen wind out of our sails. Now in our seventh decade, land Wollenburg (Dalton, Wis.), Vice-president Shelley Hamel restoration on our steep bluffs seems overwhelming, if not (Westfield, Wis.), Secretary Ann Woldt (Wautoma, Wis.), impossible and Treasurer David Hamel (Westfield, Wis.). Look for a Chris Matson, our former land consultant, recently complete write up on the chapter in the next Prairie breathed fresh life into our efforts by suggesting some Promoter. less-aerobic ways to do our work. After leaving The Board of Directors also announced that TPE had Wisconsin, Chris acquired extensive experience managing doubled the land protected in 2007. With all the recent thousands of acres in Florida for The Nature activity, including the formation of the Prairie Sands Conservancy. He encouraged us to think at a scale chapter and the nine members who bumped up their beyond our property borders and inspired us to think memberships during the conference, the board may make outside the box. a similar announcement next year, in Madison. 1. Instead of burning the parts of the steep bluff that Coulee Region Chapter members worked hard to include our prairie remnant and oak savanna separately, make this conference a success. Volunteers included why not burn the whole land peninsula at one time? Scott Cooper, Don Nelson, and Jim Rogala (conference Invertebrates will come back from our neighbors’ adjacent committee); Armund Bartz and Jessica Bolwahn unburned prairie and from the nearby bluffs.