St. Croix Valley
St. Croix Valley
Photo Credit: John Arthur
About Our Chapter
St. Croix Chapter is located in an area that at one time included large dry prairies. Today there are small oak savanna remnants that still contain some uncommon plants associated with those historic prairies. Our chapter works on a few of these, visits others to appreciate what is left, and educates folks on fire-dependent ecosystems.
The St. Croix chapter covers Pierce, Polk and St. Croix counties in Wisconsin, and Washington county in Minnesota. We invite you to join us!
The people, the sites we manage, the work we do
“Lost Prairie” in River Hills Park (work day 11JAN2025)
This small prairie was discovered years ago by Wayne H. It has been ignored over the years. As is typical with unmanaged prairies/savannas, buckthorn and cedar trees have grown up, shading the prairie plants.
We are well on our way to uncovering the overgrown prairie/savanna at this location. The long term goal is to create a pollinator corridor connecting Rocky Branch Prairie to the south and Foster Conservation Area to the north. With the invasion of River Hills Park (RHP) by non-native buckthorn and honeysuckle, there is very little remaining habitat for plants that provide resources (pollen and nectar) for pollinators in RHP.
BOARD REPRESENTATIVE
Peter Fritz
Email
Call: (612) 449-3176
CHAPTER CONTACT
Evanne Hunt
Email
Call: 715-381-1291


At the location we worked at on Saturday, there are couple of very large bur oaks whose growth form (large, spreading branches near ground level) suggests that they were growing in open prairie during their early years.
The fact that there were a number of red cedars at the location also suggests that this was prairie, as they only get established in open vegetation, i.e., prairie.
Red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) is a native invasive tree that will take over prairies if fires are not frequent enough to keep them out. Lots of branches near the ground indicate that the cedars established when the vegetation was much more open. This coming summer, we will survey the plants to see what comes up now that the canopy is again open.

Webinar: Selecting a Prairie Seed Mix
Recorded webinar: https://youtu.be/thQj6k5UfAI
Handouts:
- Native PLant Seed Nurseries & Venders WI & MN
- Blooming Periods
- Native Pollinator Mix Prices from Vendors
Slides:
- Part 1 Site Assessment & What to look for in seed mixes. Selecting a Native Prairie Seed Mix
- Part 2 Seed Vendors & Budgeting. Selecting a Native Prairie Seed Mix
- Part 3 Planting for Continuous Bloom. Selecting a Native Prairie Seed Mix
Chapter Burn Program
SCV Prescribed Burns on Private Property – August2024
Meeting Minutes
SCV Minutes for chapter meeting February 2025
Minutes for January 2025 chapter meeting
Minutes for chapter November 2024
Minutes for chapter meeting October 2024
Minutes for chapter meeting June 2024
Minutes for chapter meeting March 2024
Part 1 Site Assessment & What to look for in seed mixes. Selecting a Native Prairie Seed Mix HilfikerPart 1 Site Assessment & What to look for in seed mixes. Selecting a Native Prairie Seed Mix Hilfiker
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