by The Prairie Enthusiasts | Jul 15, 2026
Mukwonago River Oak Barrens Workday
Thursday, July 16 – 9:00 a.m. to Noon
Location: Mukwonago River Oak Barrens in Waukesha County, WI
RSVP required to receive schedule changes, exact parking locations, and details of the day’s work. RSVPs are also needed, because snowy conditions are dynamic and may limit available parking. We will be doing whatever work is most appropriate for the weather. This may include pulling or cutting and treating brush, staging and burning burn piles, cutting trees, preparing fire breaks, and spreading seeds. We strive to promote the conditions and processes that promote the recovery of these communities, which means use of frequent dormant season prescribed fire and re-introducing plant species that have been lost within our work footprint.
DIFFICULTY LEVEL: Moderate to high. Terrain is level, but conditions may be snowy or wet, and footing may be uneven. Work areas may be up to a half mile walk each way through snow from parking locations. Pulling brush, cutting and treating brush, and burn pile work are moderately strenuous.
Bring drinking water. Please wear long sleeves; long pants; and sturdy, closed-toed shoes. Also take precautions to protect from sun, biting insects, and ticks. Bring work gloves and eye protection (glasses are fine), if you have them, but we also have extras. Feel free to bring your own tools that match the day’s activity. We can supply tools as well. If we plan on chemical treatment, appropriate training, chemical resistant gloves, and application equipment will be provided. If we burn piles, you will need outer layers made from natural fibers and a hat (we can also provide hard hats).
WORK PARTY LEADER:
RSVP and contact Dan Carter via email at dlcarterksu@gmail.com.
DIRECTIONS:
Off of Waukesha County Hwy LO between the intersection of County Hwy E and Rainbow Springs Nature Preserve. Map here.
No signs mark the entrance. The property entrance is HERE. We typically park along a broad mowed path HERE.
From State Highway 83 in the Village of Mukwonago,proceed west on Eagle Lake Avenue (County LO) for about 4.9 miles. The entranceis on the south (left) side of the road about 0.1 miles past a barn that sitsvery near the road. From the State Highway 67 in the Village of Eagle, proceedeast on E. Main St. (County Nn) for about 1.5 miles to Sprague Road. Turn south(right) on Spraque Road and proceed to the T-intersection with County LO. Turnleft and proceed straight through the intersection with County E (pub andfilling station on opposite corners). The entrance to the property is on the south(right) side County LO about 0.3 miles past the intersection with County E.
by The Prairie Enthusiasts | Jul 15, 2026
Mukwonago River Oak Barrens Workday
Saturday, July 11 – 9:00 a.m. to Noon
Location: Mukwonago River Oak Barrens in Waukesha County, WI
RSVP required to receive schedule changes, exact parking locations, and details of the day’s work. RSVPs are also needed, because snowy conditions are dynamic and may limit available parking. We will be doing whatever work is most appropriate for the weather. This may include pulling or cutting and treating brush, staging and burning burn piles, cutting trees, preparing fire breaks, and spreading seeds. We strive to promote the conditions and processes that promote the recovery of these communities, which means use of frequent dormant season prescribed fire and re-introducing plant species that have been lost within our work footprint.
DIFFICULTY LEVEL: Moderate to high. Terrain is level, but conditions may be snowy or wet, and footing may be uneven. Work areas may be up to a half mile walk each way through snow from parking locations. Pulling brush, cutting and treating brush, and burn pile work are moderately strenuous.
Bring drinking water. Please wear long sleeves; long pants; and sturdy, closed-toed shoes. Also take precautions to protect from sun, biting insects, and ticks. Bring work gloves and eye protection (glasses are fine), if you have them, but we also have extras. Feel free to bring your own tools that match the day’s activity. We can supply tools as well. If we plan on chemical treatment, appropriate training, chemical resistant gloves, and application equipment will be provided. If we burn piles, you will need outer layers made from natural fibers and a hat (we can also provide hard hats).
WORK PARTY LEADER:
RSVP and contact Dan Carter via email at dlcarterksu@gmail.com.
DIRECTIONS:
Off of Waukesha County Hwy LO between the intersection of County Hwy E and Rainbow Springs Nature Preserve. Map here.
No signs mark the entrance. The property entrance is HERE. We typically park along a broad mowed path HERE.
From State Highway 83 in the Village of Mukwonago,proceed west on Eagle Lake Avenue (County LO) for about 4.9 miles. The entranceis on the south (left) side of the road about 0.1 miles past a barn that sitsvery near the road. From the State Highway 67 in the Village of Eagle, proceedeast on E. Main St. (County Nn) for about 1.5 miles to Sprague Road. Turn south(right) on Spraque Road and proceed to the T-intersection with County LO. Turnleft and proceed straight through the intersection with County E (pub andfilling station on opposite corners). The entrance to the property is on the south(right) side County LO about 0.3 miles past the intersection with County E.
by The Prairie Enthusiasts | Jul 15, 2026
Benedict Prairie Site Improvement
Saturday, July 4 – 9:00 a.m. to Noon
Location: Benedict Prairie in Kenosha County, WI
This work day will likely be pulling invasive species.
DIFFICULTY: Easy-moderate (some uneven ground) – cutting or dragging brush can be difficult in some areas.
WHAT TO BRING:
Recommended for the workday: wear appropriate clothing and footwear and bring water.
WORK PARTY LEADER:
RSVP to Alan Eppers via email AJE1967@hotmail.com.
DIRECTIONS:
I-94 to state Hwy 50 (Kenosha/Lake Geneva exit) Hwy 50 west 1.5 miles to 144th Ave. South on 144th Ave 0.6 miles Benedict Prairie is on the east side. There is a sign near the road. MAP
by The Prairie Enthusiasts | Jul 15, 2026
Eldred Prairie Work Party: Invasive Wild Parsnip Removal
Thursday, July 9 – 9:00 a.m. to Noon
Location: Eldred Prairie, Lancaster, WI
The Eldred Prairie invasive wild parsnip removal continues! Join us on Eldred Prairie and help us continue to remove invasive plants from this 45 acre prairie remnant.
Weather permitting, ie no rain, we will be pulling and cutting wild parsnip.
Help us enhance and sustain this vital prairie habitat.
WHAT TO BRING:
Bring gloves, water, long sleeve shirt/pants (protection from Wild parsnip) and hand clippers and shovel/spade if you have one, otherwise they’ll be provided.
WORK PARTY LEADER:
Please contact Ross Shrago 608-334-6942 shragoross@yahoo.com
If it rains, we will have to cancel. Contact Ross to be sure.
DIRECTIONS:
Directions to Eldred Prairie: 4200-4272 Lincoln Rd, about five miles east of Lancaster.
(Apple maps 42.83496 N, 90.63926 W)
(Google maps R9P6+55 Ellensboro, WI)
Park along the side of the road.
by The Prairie Enthusiasts | Jul 15, 2026
Brush Control and Seed Collection at Ottawa Bluffs
Saturday, September 12 – 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Location: Ottawa Bluffs, Le Sueur, MN
This month we are going to continue like we did last month, cutting brush. We have two targets, sumac and European buckthorn. The sumac is a native plant, and a component of prairies and savannas, but years of little fire allowed it to grow so dense in spots that it severely limits the other native species, sometimes to the point of elimination. The site now sees more frequent prescribed fires, but fire alone is not enough. Cutting sumac stands repeatedly (at least twice, in June and 6 weeks later) has a positive impact, but it also requires a lot of labor. Buckthorn, a very invasive non-native, can be killed by cutting them off near the ground and painting the cut stump with an herbicide. Done correctly, it is highly effective, but it also requires a lot of labor.
So if you would like to help out, please join us this Saturday. We will also be looking around the site to see what is blooming. Things we may see: purple prairie clover, white prairie clover, leadplant, and various sunflowers. The cool season native grasses in the savanna area are just coming into bloom also. Please consider joining us. The day promises to be a hot one so we will try to find work areas that are at least partially shaded.
Learn more about Ottawa Bluffs HERE.
WHAT TO BRING:
Please bring a lunch, plenty of beverage, appropriate (sturdy) foot wear, and work gloves. Leather gloves work best for brush work, thinner gloves (or none) for seed collection. Dress in layers with an eye toward the weather. Rain, snow, or shine, we will be out there.
CONTACT:
Email Jim Lynch if you have questions and to RSVP. If for some reason there is a cancellation, it will be announced through the Many Rivers email list. Contact Jim to be added to the email list.
LOCATION:
If you need help getting there: Look for the preserve sign and vehicles parked along the side of the highway. MAP
Alternatively, from LeSueur, take County 36 south to Co. 23 to the preserve.
