About Moely Prairie

At 23.5 acres, Moely (pronounced May-lee) Prairie is the largest remnant of the 14,000-acre Sauk Prairie. Because this sandy site was never plowed, a rich array of just over 200 native prairie plant species persists here. Especially popular are the thousands of prairie smoke (Geum triflorum) plants whose wispy seed heads in late May and early June evoke a layer of smoke or fog. Also present in significant numbers are eastern prickly pear (Opuntia humifusa) cactus, hairy puccoon (Lithospermum caroliniense), prairie blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium campestre), violet wood sorrel (Oxalis violacea) rough blazing-star (Liatris aspera), dotted horsemint (Monarda punctata) and leadplant (Amorpha canescens), species that survive in the driest of sites. In wetter areas, Moely harbors dozens of bush indigo (Amorpha fruticosa) plants. Native grasses include Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans), little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) and big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii).

Description & Significance

Moely Prairie is unique among The Prairie Enthusiasts’ managed properties in that it has become surrounded by residential and commercial development; this offers both challenges and opportunities. The prairie is already being utilized as a local educational resource. In 2018, guided by the Integrated Monarch Monarch Monitoring Program, students from Sauk Prairie High School, began collecting valuable data on monarch butterfly numbers and habitat at Moely Prairie in a continent-wide effort to help save the declining species from extinction. The rich diversity of forbs, including three species of milkweed, make Moely Prairie an important nectaring and breeding area for many pollinator species, including native bees. Citizen science data is also being collected through programs supporting native bumblebees, eastern bluebirds, American kestrels, and mammals through the Wisconsin DNR Snapshot program.

Moely Prairie borders a designated “Bird City” and supports a diverse population of desirable bird species including declining grassland birds like clay-colored sparrows and killdeer. With continued restoration and the help of community partners, eastern meadowlarks, western meadowlarks and grasshopper sparrows may once again find Moely Prairie a suitable habitat.

Moely Prairie is named for the Moely family, who settled nearby after leaving Switzerland in the 1850s, and is still owned by former Prairie du Sac resident Barbara Moely. In 2015, Ms. Moely permanently protected Moely Prairie through a perpetual conservation easement that entrusted management to The Prairie Enthusiasts.

Management

Management practices include invasive species removal, tree cutting, prescribed burns, and
mowing. The site is managed with the following objectives:

• Recovering and maintaining as much original prairie as possible.
• Providing habitat for grassland birds and other native animal species native to prairie
  ecosystems.
• Improving habitat for insect populations such as the threatened monarch butterfly.
• Providing educational opportunities for area students and the Sauk Prairie community.
• Providing for improved water quality and supply to groundwater, streams and rivers.