Empire-Sauk Field Trip 

Sunday, July 2nd – 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM

Location: Mounds View Grasslands

Come for a day of hiking across TPE’s 830-acre Mounds View Grassland preserve. We will see the progress being made in bringing back to life degraded remnant prairies, converting non-native cool-season grass to native prairie, renovating streams, wetlands, and seeps, and planting agricultural fields to prairie. We will be encountering rich displays of early summer prairie flowers such as pale-purple coneflower, wild quinine, white wild indigo, white prairie clover, and others. Along the way will also have opportunity to observe many uncommon grassland birds such as bobolinks, meadowlarks, grasshopper sparrows, upland sandpipers, and Henslow’s sparrows, as well as butterflies and bumblebees. Be prepared for a long hike (some off trail) and occasional steep slopes. Bring a pack lunch (we’ll stop for a picnic along the way), water, hat, sun screen, long pants, and binoculars.

DIRECTIONS

Address is 8624 Reilly Road, Barneveld. From the intersection of US Hwy 18-151 and County F (south of Blue Mounds in western Dane County), take F approximately 5 miles south. Turn right onto Reilly Road, and proceed to parking lot and kiosks at the end of the road (past the barn). (Note: A half mile down F from 18-151, pay close attention to the road signs, for F turns to the right & the straight ahead road becomes County Z. Stay on F.)

FIELD TRIP LEADER

Rich Henderson (608-845-7065 or EMAIL)