Prairie restoration

Prairie restoration. . In the early 1800s, there were 2.1 million acres of prairie in Wisconsin. Only 2,000 acres of high-quality prairie remain in our state today., Invasive non-native plants took over , When this land was acquired in 2002 for permanent protection, invasive plant species had taken over and little habitat remained for the native species here., Prairie restoration is underway , It takes decades to establish or restore a prairie. Restoration of prairie on this property was begun in 2016 by mimicking nature with a rotation of seeding, mowing, and carefully controlled burning. Today, researchers are studying the prairie habitat on this property for its ability to support monarch butterflies., What has prairie done for you? , The deep-rooted grasses and flowering plants of a prairie offer many benefits for all of us. They perform these services: , . feeding pollinators that are needed to grow food crops , . trapping carbon to protect our climate , . preventing floods and erosion , . providing wildlife habitat, Prairie habitat once dominated La Crosse's blufflands., Rare species you might see here , Loss of prairie habitat threatens many species. Prairie restoration on this land is intended to help maintain the diversity of native wildlife, including..., Henslow's sparrow , This grassland bird is listed as "threatened" in Wisconsin. It prefers undisturbed fields where it feeds on seeds and insects. , Rusty patched bumble bee , This federally endangered bumble bee is an excellent pollinator of wildflowers and crops including cranberries, plums, apples, alfalfa, and onions. , Timber rattlesnake , These rare snakes hunt in the forest during summer and enjoy lying on the sun-baked rocks of the bluffs in cooler weather. They eat mice, chipmunks, squirrels, frogs, smaller snakes, and birds (helping control tick populations). They are not aggressive, but have a venomous bite. Do not disturb if sighted., Photo credits: coneflowers, bumble bee, and prairie restoration by Tom Rhorer; Henslow's sparrow by Gwyn Calvetti; timber rattlesnake by Allen B. Sheldon, Leave No Trace , Center of Outdoor Ethics | LNT.org , Keep your dog on a leash to protect it from snakes and to leave nesting grassland birds undisturbed.