by The Prairie Enthusiasts | Jul 21, 2026
Sugar River Oak Savanna Hike
Sunday, July 26 – 10:00 a.m. to Noon
Location: Sugar River Oak Savanna in Dane County, WI
Come see what six million acres of southern and western Wisconsin once looked like. Displays of prairie blazing star, false foxglove, rattlesnake master, pale Indian plantain, and dozens of other prairie and savanna flowers should be in bloom. This diverse 9-acre preserve of The Prairie Enthusiasts has had frequent fire since 1976, which has recovered a rich flora of nearly 400 native plant species.
WHAT TO BRING:
Dress for the weather and bring water.
TRIP LEADER:
For questions and to RSVP, contact Rich Henderson (tpe.rhenderson@tds.net) (h) 608-845-7065.
DIRECTIONS:
From the intersection of CTH M and PD (north of Verona and SW of Madison) take PD west 3.0 miles to Timber Lane, turn right (north) on to Timber Lane and then immediately turn left into a joint driveway. Proceed to the brick house (2845 Timber Lane). Park in mowed lawn (please do not block the neighbor’s driveway).
by The Prairie Enthusiasts | Jul 21, 2026
Coulee Region Chapter Social and Hikes
Saturday, September 26 – 10:00 a.m.
Location: Holland Sand Prairie, Midway Prairie and more
We haven’t had a gathering of members in a couple years, so here is your chance to join other members (non-members are welcome) and share your passion for prairies. We’ll start at 10:00 with a short hike at Holland Sand Prairie then go to Midway Prairie to see the progress being made to restore it. From there, we’ll go to Melinda Knutson and Dave Ford’s home on Lake Onalaska for a potluck lunch and socializing. More details to come!
RSVP
If you plan to attend or have any questions, please contact Jim Rogala at (jrogala58@gmail.com).
by The Prairie Enthusiasts | Jul 21, 2026
Buffalo County Hike on Private Land
Sunday, August 16 – 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Location: Private prairie reconstructions near Alma, WI
We don’t often have events in our Chapter’s northern most counties, so here is an opportunity to meet with people active in prairie conservation in Buffalo and nearby Counties. Terry and Renee Schoonover will be hosting a tour of their prairie reconstructions and a peek at some early work on converting forest to open woodland.
We’ll meet at 10:00 a.m. at the Schoonover’s property and start with a tour of the projects. At noon, Terry and Renee are hosting a potluck, followed by a short meeting where Chapter leadership will present an overview of The Prairie Enthusiasts and discuss how prairie people in the area can stay connected.
CONTACT:
Please RSVP to Jim Rogala at (jrogala58@gmail.com) if you plan to attend.
LOCATION:
S2274B Flury Ridge Ln (MAP)
by The Prairie Enthusiasts | Jul 15, 2026
Field Trip at Weaver Dunes
Saturday, August 22 – 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Location: Weaver Dunes in Wabasha County, MN
A perennial favorite, we’re pleased to host another field trip at Weaver Dunes in 2026. This site has exceptional conservation value, consisting largely of sand prairie with it’s associated unique plants and species of rare wildlife.
Learn more and register for this FREE event here:
by The Prairie Enthusiasts | Jul 15, 2026
Field Trip at Glenn Heins’ Property
Saturday, August 1 – 10:00 a.m.
Location: Glenn Heins’ Property in Winona County, MN
Join us at the property of Glenn Heins to see multiple plots of planted prairie that were established in different years. We had a field trip at Glenn’s property in 2021 and it was a big success. People on that field trip had great discussions about various restoration planting and management methods, lots of ideas were exchanged, and everyone enjoyed seeing the wildflowers in bloom.
For more information and to RSVP, shoot an email to Glenn at (glenn.heins@gmail.com).
