EMPIRE-SAUK WORK PARTY
Planting Wild Strawberry Roots at Schurch-Thomson Prairie
Saturday, September 27 – 9:30 a.m. to Noon
Location: Schurch-Thomson Prairie in Barneveld, WI
Help is needed in out-planting root plugs of wild strawberry into various prairie restorations areas at The Prairie Enthusiasts’ Mounds View Grassland Preserve. In the original mesic and wet-mesic prairies of Wisconsin, strawberry was very common under the taller vegetation. So much so, that early travelers on the prairie in mid-June described wagon wheels and horse hooves becoming red from the berries.
In our efforts to bring back the full prairie ecosystem at Mounds View, we are working towards reestablishing strawberries on a large scale by planting nursery-reared growing points, which then readily spread vegetatively. After a few years, each plug we plant develops into patches up to 12 feet across. Help us fill the dream of having hundreds of acres of prairie once again filled with strawberries.
WHAT TO BRING:
Be prepared for digging in the ground. Tools will be provided, but if you have a favorite hand shovel or trowel, bring it along. Water, hat and sunscreen recommended.
FIELD TRIP LEADER:
For questions and to RSVP, contact Rich Henderson (tpe.rhenderson@tds.net) (h) 608-845-7065 or (c) 608-235-4165. If you plan to attend, please let the trip leader know at least 12 hours in advance, in case of last-minute changes in the schedule or cancelation due to severe weather.
DIRECTIONS:
Meet at Schurch-Thomson Prairie (8624 Reilly Road, Barneveld, WI). 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, 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 as F turns to the right and the straight-ahead road becomes County Z. Stay on F.)