Enthusiasm for Restoration Proves Contagious on Rattlesnake Ridge

Story by Cassidy Coulson and David Myers, Chapter Support Staff

Many people in The Prairie Enthusiasts community have interesting tales to tell of chance encounters that result in new land protected, or that inspire someone to become a Prairie Enthusiast. The protection of Rattlesnake Ridge in Southern Wisconsin is just one of those stories

In the fall of 1984, Sue Steinmann and Bill Weege purchased 40 acres in Arena, WI with the intent of building a property on the land and being close to Madison where Bill taught at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the art department and Sue attended graduate school for horticulture. They didn’t want that much property but needed enough acreage to obtain a building permit. Sue and Bill moved to the property in April. When they looked outside as spring brought blossoms to the sand barrens and the neighboring ridgetop prairie, they thought, “What the heck did we buy?!”

As the seasons progressed, Sue and Bill realized they were sitting on a prairie. “We knew what we had, but we had no experience in trying to preserve it or what we needed to do,” Sue said. “We just started reading and talking to friends.” 

As someone who spent nearly 40 years working as a Research Ecologist for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, it is not surprising that a sighting of rattlesnake master piqued Rich’s interest. The fact that Sue and Bill took such a fervent interest in restoration work is what makes Rattlesnake Ridge such a success story. 

With help from Rich, the couple started making connections with community members who were also passionate about restoration work. They deepened their knowledge and brought others into their work at Rattlesnake Ridge. From Bill clearing cedar with one of his graduate students to Sue looking for grants through the Wisconsin DNR, they threw themselves into land stewardship. Bill put an incredible amount of work into the land and left his mark. Sue remarked, “He would just disappear for hours and say, ‘I’m going up to the prairie!’ He absolutely loved it.”

Sue and Bill eventually purchased the ridge top prairie from a neighbor, preventing the remnant prairie from being plowed and planted. They sold the property to The Prairie Enthusiasts in 2015 and were asked to stay involved as Site Stewards. Sue “of course” said yes;  however, she felt a little in over her head during the first few years of her new role. “So many preserve owners and chapter members are professionals from the DNR with an awful lot of experience,” Sue reflected. “Then come Bill and me, an artist and a horticulturist. I needed more guidance, and it took a long time for me to get confident.”  

According to Rich, Sue and Bill’s level of engagement was “unusual,” and was the biggest surprise to Rich as he approached Rattlesnake Ridge as a project. Despite Sue’s trepidation, she had a “knack for” stewardship. Rich said: 

Sue and Bill were very much good stewards. They took to what we were doing immediately. When you find landowners that are that engaged, that are asking questions, that’s great. Sue’s doing what we should be doing on all our sites, but we don’t always have stewards that have the interest or background or time commitment. She has thank-you events for all the volunteers and keeps reaching out through friends and connections and bringing people in who don’t even know The Prairie Enthusiasts. There’s a core group now of volunteers, either directly through The Prairie Enthusiasts or through personal connections of Sue’s, that have been brought together.

After 35 years of land stewardship, Bill Weege passed in 2020. Sue has continued on with restoration work and basks in the beauty that land stewardship brings. In the sand barrens, she experienced an eruption of lupine blooms after clearing a hillside of oak scrub. “It’s like magic,” she remarked. She has a fondness for butterfly milkweed in the sand barrens as well, and “can’t have enough purple prairie clover” on the ridge top prairie. 

The original acreage that The Prairie Enthusiasts purchased from Sue and Bill in 2015 covered 43 acres. In 2017, Sue and Bill helped The Prairie Enthusiasts acquire an additional 37 acres from a neighboring family, and in 2019, they donated another 16 acres that they bought from their neighbors.

The preserve that The Prairie Enthusiasts currently holds title on is 96 acres. Sue has another 100-plus acres that she’s working on. “It’s a pretty significant couple hundred acres there,” Rich said. “It goes down into the river valley system, with sand prairie and sand barrens from the sands along the Wisconsin River, so there’s a lot of intact habitat. There’s a lot of reptiles, like hog-nosed snakes and many more uncommon species; it’s great habitat.”

According to Rich, there’s a lot to be hopeful for in this work. Stewards are burning and clearing brush, allowing rare and endangered plants to thrive in the abundant sunlight. Rich remarked, “They can come back. It’s not all gone yet.”

Recently, Sue hosted a couple dozen supporters and volunteers for food and celebration on the property. As Rich pointed out, these gatherings are not unusual for Sue to host, underlining the joy and heart she brings to her role as a Site Steward.

When Sue and Bill first discovered they had purchased a prairie remnant back in 1985, they knew they were embarking on a special journey. sue said, “Bill and I always wanted to see the land get better and pass it on so people could enjoy it.” Through Sue and Bill’s efforts and community organizing, they have indeed achieved their mission.

Because of Sue and Bill’s decades of dedication, Rattlesnake Ridge can be enjoyed for generations to come. This habitat, like all prairies and oak savannas, will require continual stewardship, but the diversity of life there wouldn’t exist today without the couple’s care throughout the years. Bill and Sue may have started as mentees, but they became mentors. They have ignited relationships with the land and inspired a community of new land stewards, ensuring Rattlesnake Ridge will be cared for long into the future.

Anyone looking to help steward this property can contact Sue at ssteinmann6@gmail.com.

This article appeared in the Fall 2024 edition of  The Prairie Promoter, a publication of news, art and writing from The Prairie Enthusiasts community. Explore the full collection and learn how to submit your work here.