Schluckebier Sand Prairie

Schluckebier Sand Prairie

by | Jul 19, 2023

Prairie violet by Joshua Mayer

Schluckebier Sand Prairie

Schluckebier Sand Prairie, one of the last surviving remnants of the 14,000 acre Sauk Prairie Sauk , a vast grassland that covered the area prior to European settlement. The small dry to dry-mesic prairie is situated on part of an old Wisconsin River terrace. The prairie supports a good diversity of native plants and insects. Including plants such as little bluestem, June grass, Virginia dwarf dandelion, short green milkweed, bird’s-foot violet, pasque flower, prairie smoke, flowering spurge, spiderwort, and rough blazing-star.

Except for a few small patches on slopes and along the edges, it is believed that the entire site had been plowed as early as the 1850’s. An area to the south was also grazed until 1969. Because of its sandy soil and rapid depletion of nutrients, the site was abandoned for cultivation purposes and native species that had disappeared were able to recolonize the prairie. Also present, perhaps due in part to human disturbance, are sand blows that provide microhabitats for specialists like false heather, a pioneer plant that helps stabilize the sand blows. Today, with a management regime of prescribed fire, brushing, and invasives control the condition of the prairie is improving. Schluckebier (SCHLUCK-e-beer) is a German name meaning “drink a beer”. The site is owned by The Prairie Enthusiasts and was designated a State Natural Area in 2006.

SITE STEWARDS

BRANDON MANN

413-427-4099

EMAIL

ACCESS & DIRECTIONS


Take US Highway 12 west of Sauk City until you get to the light at County PF.  Turn left (west) onto Co. PF and travel 1.5 miles, at which point there is a dirt lane immediately beyond a row of trees on the left.  Turn left (south) into the lane and look for the small mowed parking area about 100 down the lane.

 

Google Map

Description & Significance

The prairie supports a good diversity of native plants and insects.

Notable Species:

  • prairie bush-clover (Lespedeza leptostachya)
  • little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)
  • June grass (Koeleria macrantha)
  • Virginia dwarf dandelion (Krigia virginica)
  • short green milkweed (Asclepias viridiflora)
  • bird’s-foot violet (Viola pedata)
  • pasqueflower (Anemone patens)
  • prairie smoke (Geum triflorum)
  • flowering spurge (Euphorbia corollata)
  • spiderwort
  • rough blazing star (Liatris aspera)

Sand prairie is a dry native grassland community dominated by grasses such as little bluestem, J junegrass, panic grasses, and poverty-oat grass. Common herbaceous associates are sand cress, field sage-wort, western ragweed, several sedges (e.g., Carex muhlenbergii, Cyperus filiculmis, and Cyperus schweinitzii), flowering spurge, frostweed, round-headed bush-clover, western sunflower, false-heather, long-bearded hawkweed, stiff goldenrod, horsebalm, and spiderwort. Drought-adapted fungi, lichens, and mosses are significant components of sand prairie communities.

Management

Except for a few small patches on slopes and along the edges, it is believed that the entire site had been plowed as early as the 1850s. An area to the south was also grazed until 1969. Because of its sandy soil and rapid depletion of nutrients, the site was abandoned for cultivation purposes and native species that had disappeared were able to recolonize the prairie. Also present, perhaps due in part to human disturbance, are sand blows that provide microhabitats for specialists like false heather, a pioneer plant that helps stabilize the sand blows. Today, with a management regime of prescribed fire, brushing, and invasives control the condition of the prairie is improving.

Click To See More Sites

Pleasant Valley Conservancy

Pleasant Valley Conservancy

by | Jul 19, 2023

Pleasant Valley Conservancy

Pleasant Valley Conservancy State Natural Area is a 140-acre natural area in western Dane County. It consists of extensive restored oak savannas, dry, mesic, and wet prairies, wetlands, and oak woods. It is in the Driftless Area of Wisconsin and is in the Hill and Valley Province.

Scenic views and wildlife viewing are excellent, and a hiking trail brings one into the heart of the savanna. Thirty-seven acres were donated to The Prairie Enthusiasts in 2006, along with a conservation easement on the remaining land. 

There is an extensive website that was developed by Tom Brock with information about the site and its management. 

SITE STEWARDS

KATHIE BROCK

608-238-5050

EMAIL

ACCESS & DIRECTIONS

*** THIS SITE IS CURRENTLY CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC ***

Description & Significance

The steep south-facing ridge supports several prairie remnants, which are now thriving after intensive management began in 1995. The oak savannas, primarily on the ridge top, contain numerous large, open-grown bur and white oaks with many being over 150 years old. This area supports numerous grass, sedge, and forb species including the state-endangered purple milkweed (Asclepias purpurascens), which re-appeared after restoration and prescribed burning began.

The cooler north-facing slope is predominantly oak woodland with red oak, basswood, hackberry, butternut, yellowbud hickory, and red maple. The woodland contains a good variety of spring ephemerals.

The savanna and oak woodland support a diversity of bird species which include the red-headed woodpecker, a declining bird species of conservation concern. Other birds include blue-gray gnatcatcher, eastern wood pewee, tufted titmouse, eastern bluebird, yellow-throated vireo, scarlet tanager, black-billed cuckoo, and yellow-billed cuckoo.

Also present is the spring-fed Pleasant Valley Creek, which flows through the wetland and into East Blue Mounds Creek.

Notable Species:

South-Facing Prairie Remnant:

  • big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii)
  • little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)
  • Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans)
  • side-oats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula)
  • wood betony (Pedicularis canadensis)
  • bird’s foot violet (Viola pedata)
  • purple prairie clover (Dalea purpurea)
  • violet wood sorrel (Oxalis violacea)
  • prairie turnip (Pediomelum esculentum)

Oak Savanna:

  • purple milkweed (Asclepias purpurascens)
  • silky rye (Elymus villosus)
  • bottlebrush grass (Elymus hystrix)
  • ear-leaved brome (Bromus latiglumis)
  • leadplant (Amorpha canescens)
  • large-flowered yellow false foxglove (Aureolaria grandiflora)
  • Canada milk-vetch (Astragalus canadensis
  • Illinois tick-trefoil (Desmodium illinoense)
  • prairie alumroot (Heuchera richardsonii)
  • shooting star
  • spiderwort
  • giant yellow hyssop (Agastache nepetoides) – state threatened
  • upland boneset (Eupatorium sessilifolium) – special concern

North-Facing Slope:

  • bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)
  • Jacob’s ladder
  • large-flowered bellwort- (Uvularia grandiflora)
  • yellow lady’s slipper orchid (Cypripedium parviflorum)
  • large flowered trillium (Trillium grandiflorum)
  • Dutchman’s breeches (Dicentra cucullaria)

Natural History

Pleasant Valley Conservancy consists of a long narrow ridge that runs almost due east/west, with steep hillsides facing both north and south. The north-facing slope is cool and moist and the vegetation is primarily oak woods. The south-facing slope receives the full brunt of the sun and is hot and dry. Its vegetation consists of oak savanna and prairie. Pleasant Valley Conservancy is part of the unique “Driftless Area” of southwestern Wisconsin, an area that the glaciers never reached. Surveyors notes and plant surveys tell us that the dominant vegetation before settlement was oak savanna, with areas of prairie along the edges of the streams and on the steepest south-facing slopes. The spring-fed Pleasant Valley Creek flows through the property, feeding into Blue Mounds Creek. Along the creek valley is an area of marsh and wet prairie.

The property was owned by the Lockwood Family for many years and was in general agricultural use from the 1880s through the 1950s. However, only about 15 acres of the property was ever in cropland (now planted to prairie). The rest was pasture, woodland, or wetland. After the early 1960s the property was in absentee ownership until Kathie and Tom Brock purchased it in 1980.

An air photo by the Soil Conservation Service, done in 1937, shows that the south-facing slope was predominantly prairie and oak savanna. The Wisconsin Land Cover map for the Town of Vermont, done around the same time, provides a similar picture. Most of the south-facing slope was probably pastured, but very slightly. Subsequent air photos show that after the 1950s, the south slope gradually deteriorated, losing its open character.

At the time restoration began in 1995, there was a small native “goat” prairie at the west end of the hill. The remaining parts of the south slope had small amounts of remnant prairie vegetation which were virtually overgrown with planted red pines, native red cedars, and invasive trees and shrubs such as black walnut, buckthorn, and honeysuckle. These woody plants were cut and removed from the south slope during the winter of 1997-98. Controlled burns were begun In the spring of 1998 and were extremely successful, leading to a resurgence of original prairie. Continued burns since then have returned the whole south slope to prairie.

At the time restoration began, the upper slope and the ridge top had many large open-grown oaks (mostly bur but some whites), but they were overun with invasive trees and shrubs. During the 1999-2003 period, most of this invasive woody vegetation was removed, and controlled burns were introduced, which were quite effective. Remnant herbaceous vegetation growing in a highly suppressed form was released. Continued burning at yearly intervals have encouraged further savanna vegetation. Careful monitoring and control of invasive shrubs has kept the savannas open.

Although the wetland had been tiled, it was abandoned to agriculture in the 1950s and the tiles gradually broke. Today, the wetland is of high quality and is fairly large for the Driftless Area. Many springs arise in the wetland and contribute water to a small creek that flows through the east end. Also, Pleasant Valley Creek is on the Conservancy and flows through the west end of the wetland. This cold-water spring-fed creek supports many wetland forbs and sedges. Reed canary grass, a common bane of wetlands, is present in only low amounts.

Volunteers

Various volunteer activities are carried out throughout the year. To be placed on a special email list for Pleasant Valley Conservancy, send an email or call site steward Kathie Brock.

Usage Policies

Currently not open to the public.

Ownership History

The Prairie Enthusiasts owns outright 37 acres of Pleasant Valley Conservancy and owns a permanent conservation easement on the remaining land. The 37 acre parcel had been owned by the Savanna Oak Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit foundation established by Tom and Kathie Brock. Savanna Oak donated this parcel gratis to The Prairie Enthusiasts in 2006.

The conservation easement on the remaining land was donated gratis to the Prairie Enthusiasts by Tom and Kathie Brock in 2006.

Pleasant Valley Conservancy was designated a State Natural Area in 2007.

Management

Some of the management activities of Pleasant Valley Conservancy have been supported by grants from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services (controlled burns of the wetland), Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (oak savanna restoration), and Landowner Incentive Program of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Areas. The Conservation Reserve Program of the U.S.D.A. has also permitted us to plant prairie on our four CRP fields.

However, most of the restoration work at Pleasant Valley Conservancy has been supported by Tom and Kathie Brock through their Savanna Oak Foundation, Inc.

Management activities include the following (visit the Brocks’s website to see the details): controlled burns, seed collection and planting, on-going brush control, weed control, and plant species monitoring.

Click To See More Sites

Muralt Bluff Prairie

Muralt Bluff Prairie

by | Jul 19, 2023

Muralt Bluff Prairie

Muralt Bluff Prairie is the largest preserve managed by the Prairie Bluff Chapter. It is a site with special significance for The Prairie Enthusiasts who consider it the place where our efforts for prairie preservation began some 50 years ago. Muralt Bluff Prairie consists of 75 acres including dry prairies with a thin limestone cap over sloping sandstone sides. Frequent prescribed fires have created an ecosystem where rare species of plants and animals are now thriving.

 

An unusually spectacular bloom of blazing stars and goldenrods at Muralt Bluff Prairie in 1989. Photo by Gary Eldred. 

Muralt Bluff Prairie

Blazing stars and golden rod at Muralt Bluff Prairie in 1989. Photo by Gary Eldred.

Muralt Bluff Prairie is the largest preserve managed by the Prairie Bluff Chapter. It is a site with special significance for The Prairie Enthusiasts who consider it the place where our efforts for prairie preservation began some 50 years ago. 

Muralt Bluff Prairie consists of 75 acres including dry prairies with a thin limestone cap over sloping sandstone sides. Frequent prescribed fires have created an ecosystem where rare species of plants and animals are now thriving.

Access & Directions

This prairie does not have any maintained trails or burn breaks on the site. However, visitors are welcome to hike the steep bluff. 

The parking lot for Muralt Bluff Prairie is located near W2635 County F, between Monticello and Albany. Access is by foot only up the steep bluff, and a trail will take you to the farthest west end. You can return by following the firebreak along the south and east edges.

Google Map

Site Steward

Connect with the site steward to see how you can care for this rare habitat at an upcoming work party.

Site Steward: Tom Mitchell (Email)

Upcoming Events Here

No event found!

How to Enjoy This Site

Allowed:

  • Hiking
  • Bird Watching
  • Dogs (must be on a leash during bird breeding season from May-July)
  • Hunting (all legal species; no permit or reservation required)

    Not Allowed:

    • Collecting plants, rocks or animals

    How to Enjoy This Site

    Allowed:

    • Hiking
    • Bird Watching
    • Dogs (must be on a leash during bird breeding season from May-July)
    • Hunting (all legal species; no permit or reservation required)

      Not Allowed:

      • Collecting plants, rocks or animals

       

      Enjoying the spring shooting star blooms at Muralt Bluff Prairie. Photo by Jerry Newman.

      What Makes Muralt Bluff Special

      Best times to see the abundant native plants are spring and fall. In early May, a large population of prairie smoke blooms on the northwest bluff along with shooting star, puccoon, violet, sand cress and Pasqueflower. Later in autumn, you can see all the tall grasses, nine kinds of asters, five species of goldenrods, gentians and blazing stars. Many other threatened and endangered species find a home here. However, changes in the surrounding land use have reduced the available grassland habitat from hundreds of acres in the 1970s to only the Muralt footprint today.

      On July 20, 2014, a visitor to Muralt Bluff Prairie posted to the Southern Wisconsin Butterfly Association (SWBA) website a tally of the more than 100 butterflies that he spotted:  including giant swallowtail, eastern tiger swallowtails, clouded sulphurs, coral hairstreaks, summer azures, great spangled fritillaries, pearl crescents, question marks, eastern comma, mourning cloak, American lady, red admirals, red-spotted purples, common wood nymphs, monarchs, northern broken-dash and Delaware skipper.

      The elevation of Muralt Bluff Prairie is also a sight to behold, with views of Blue Mounds some 40 miles away. 

      Outcrops of limestone and sandstone rocks are present on the site.  Erratic boulders from an earlier episode of glaciation are present.  The last advance of the ice sheet stopped about 10 miles to the northeast 16,000 to 18,000 years ago, but a pro-glacial lake, named Glacial Lake Broadhead by Wisconsin geologists, backed up the valleys of Sylvester and Searles Creeks and the Sugar and Little Sugar Rivers, flooding the broad valley to the north of Muralt Bluff Prairie.  

      Wisconsin State-Endangered regal frittilary butterfly feeding on wild bergamot at Muralt Bluff Prairie in 2017. Photo by Gary Eldred.

      How was Muralt Bluff Protected

      During the early 1970s, early Prairie Enthusiasts Gary Eldred and John Ochsner independently discovered the unusual tall grasses and flowers covering Muralt Bluff Prairie. They kept visiting the site and made a plan to conduct a prescribed burn there. In April of 1975, Gary and John joined Reynold Zeller, Dan Hazlett, Jonathon Wilde, Deanne DeLaronde, Chuck Philipson, Tim and Peggy Hammerly, and John Ringhand as they dropped a match in the southeast corner and watched the fire follow the wind across the field to the north.  Their suppression  tools—snow shovels and burlap bags—proved inadequate to slow or stop the fire.  The Albany Fire Department responded to reports of a wild fire, but they were unable to get their trucks up the bluff, so everyone stood and watched as the fire eventually ran out of fuel.  Many cedar trees were scorched, the ground was blackened. But the following summer erupted in blooms of native flowers which were long suppressed by lack of fire. The sight was impressive enough that the Green County Board of Supervisors was persuaded to buy the acreage, protecting it from development. Read more about this first prescribed burn HERE.

      Muralt Bluff Prairie was dedicated as a Wisconsin State Natural Area in 1977. With the help of The Nature Conservancy, an additional 12 acres was added to the site in 1981. The county deeded Muralt Bluff Prairie (then 62 acres) to The Prairie Enthusiasts in September, 2013. With the addition of the adjacent Iltis Savanna this is a 95-acre mosaic of prairie, savanna and woodland.  A fourth parcel, Stauffacher Prairie, which is located a mile away across from Gap Church on Highway 59, is considered by the Wisconsin DNR to be part of the Muralt Bluff Prairie SNA although that land is owned by the State of Wisconsin.

      In 1975, some of the original Prairie Enthusiasts conducted their first major prescribed burn. Some of the crew here left to right: Dan Hazlett, Gary Eldred, Jonathon Wilde, Reynold Zeller, Chuck Phillipson. Photo by John Ochsner.

      How You Can Help Muralt Bluff Prairie

      The Prairie Bluff Chapter is stewarding the site by removing colonies of aspen, sumac, dogwood, prickly ash and honeysuckle that had invaded from the fence lines and wooded edges. These species are being removed as they smother and shade out the native plants and grasses.

      Check out our Events Calendar to see upcoming work parties or contact the site steward to get involved.

      Volunteers collecting native plant seeds at Muralt Bluff Prairie. Photo by Jerry Newman.

      See More Sites