Aspen Girdling at Agaski Bluff

Saturday, May 27th – 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM

Location: Agaski Bluff, 7352 Mellum Rd, Arena, WI 53503

Rain Date: If it rains really hard, Sunday May 28, 1-4 is a makeup day.

Join us at Agaski Bluff to help girdle aspen. While aspen is “native” to southern Wisconsin, it’s unlikely to have been present in our prairies, especially south-facing bluff prairies that received regular fire. With the suppression of fire, many native and non-native trees and shrubs have taken over the original prairie ecosystem, eliminating many species and much biodiversity. Please join us for a fun afternoon of girdling aspen. Few things are quite as rewarding.

We received a LIP grant that helped us clear a few acres of remnant bluff prairie adjacent to TPE’s Swenson Bluff, but we still need to eliminate the aspen that remains. Cutting and treating doesn’t work well for aspen but girdling in May and June does wonders.

Save a Pale False Foxglove (Agalinis skinneriana), a shooting star and a hoary puccoon by girdling an aspen.

WHAT TO BRING/WEAR

Bring work gloves and sturdy footwear. We’ll be working on a steep slope. We have girdling tools and provide training. If you have a girdling tool, please bring it.

DIRECTIONS

7352 Mellum Rd, Arena. From Hwy 14, 1.5 miles west of Arena, take County H south. At 2.5 mi., turn left (east) on Mellum Rd. At 0.2 mi, the driveway is on the left. Either park down by our camper or along the side of the driveway. Our neighbor is starting to build his house and will need access in and out.

WORK PARTY LEADER

Eric Preston, 415.235.4182 (call or text), Email. 

Please email, call or text Eric to let him know you are coming. We’ll keep an eye on the weather and will let you know the day before if we need to cancel.