This January I adopted a small State Natural Area at the edge of Eagle, Wisconsin. For the past few years I have been looking to join the volunteer work days in the state forest in the southern Kettle Moraine region, but my work schedule is so variable it never seems to align with the volunteer dates. In December I discovered Eagle Center Prairie, an eight acre prairie/oak savanna remnant, was available for adoption. To adopt it the only stipulation was that I spend a minimum of two days per year (one spring and one fall) picking up trash and removing invasive species. This looked perfect since I am a prairie lover and can go out there to work by myself on my own schedule. I submitted an application to adopt the site and was accepted. In late January I was given a walk-through tour of the property and signed an adoption contract and liability waiver and I was now the volunteer caretaker of Eagle Center Prairie.
Of course, being January, everything out there was buried under nearly 2 feet of snow, so I waited for a couple of months and by late March the snow was gone and work could begin. This is a really small State Natural Area at just under eight acres, which should hopefully help make it fairly manageable for me. It is sort of triangular in shape at the south end of the village of Eagle, WI. The north side backs up to a neighborhood and the west end is bordered by State Hwy 67 which runs into the middle of town. The prairie is chiefly along the tops and steep southern slopes of the hills along the northern border of the site. There are several huge old bur oaks at various places though most suffered significant damage in a severe storm before I came to Wisconsin. In 2008 (I think) a tornado tore right through Eagle Center Prairie and obliterated many of the big oaks. In the intervening years some of the fallen dead ones have been cut up and removed, a few have not, and a fair number of dead trees still stand in the lowland at the center of the site. More steep hills rise at the southern border.
This little piece of land escaped the plow because it's hills were much too steep and rocky for cultivation. It was undoubtedly grazed at various times as this was once part of a farm, of which the house still stands across the southern border. Being a remnant prairie versus a restoration there is a lot more variety of native plants present. However, the land has not escaped the scourge of invasive buckthorn that chokes the forest understory of much of southeastern Wisconsin. There is a lot of it here and it will be a big task to mitigate it. Buckthorn is so tenacious there really is no removing it once it is established, you can only attempt to control and minimize the infestation. Also here, although in a much smaller quantity is buckthorn's partner in crime, garlic mustard. Together these two have displaced vast areas of native understory plants throughout this region. At Eagle Center Prairie though, quite a few native understory plants are still holding out against the onslaught.
That was a big reason why I wanted to work at this spot. I feel that with effort the native plants can hopefully thrive here. In late March I saw my first Pasqueflower ever on the easternmost hilltop, and in the central lowland there is the largest colony of Bloodroot I have seen. The plan for spring is to pull garlic mustard which has a pretty strong hold on one area in the lowland. I have pulled a little less than half of it as of writing this and hope to finish the rest of the area in a few weeks as the garlic mustard is already starting to flower. In the fall buckthorn removal will begin, and there is probably a few years worth of work to get that under control. This should be interesting.
Here are some pictures of Eagle Center Prairie State Natural Area from right about the time I adopted it in January.
On top of the first hill looking looking east.
One of the tornado-ravaged bur oaks that survived with new growth. All the brushy stuff underneath is buckthorn to be removed come this fall.
Standing at the southern border looking north to the prairie covered hills. Those hills will be my first focus for buckthorn removal come fall as they are the highest quality area on the property. The hill on the right is where the first picture was from.
Looking past some big bur oaks towards the lowland in the center of the site. Most all the low stuff beyond the trees is buckthorn needing removal.
Of course, being January, everything out there was buried under nearly 2 feet of snow, so I waited for a couple of months and by late March the snow was gone and work could begin. This is a really small State Natural Area at just under eight acres, which should hopefully help make it fairly manageable for me. It is sort of triangular in shape at the south end of the village of Eagle, WI. The north side backs up to a neighborhood and the west end is bordered by State Hwy 67 which runs into the middle of town. The prairie is chiefly along the tops and steep southern slopes of the hills along the northern border of the site. There are several huge old bur oaks at various places though most suffered significant damage in a severe storm before I came to Wisconsin. In 2008 (I think) a tornado tore right through Eagle Center Prairie and obliterated many of the big oaks. In the intervening years some of the fallen dead ones have been cut up and removed, a few have not, and a fair number of dead trees still stand in the lowland at the center of the site. More steep hills rise at the southern border.
This little piece of land escaped the plow because it's hills were much too steep and rocky for cultivation. It was undoubtedly grazed at various times as this was once part of a farm, of which the house still stands across the southern border. Being a remnant prairie versus a restoration there is a lot more variety of native plants present. However, the land has not escaped the scourge of invasive buckthorn that chokes the forest understory of much of southeastern Wisconsin. There is a lot of it here and it will be a big task to mitigate it. Buckthorn is so tenacious there really is no removing it once it is established, you can only attempt to control and minimize the infestation. Also here, although in a much smaller quantity is buckthorn's partner in crime, garlic mustard. Together these two have displaced vast areas of native understory plants throughout this region. At Eagle Center Prairie though, quite a few native understory plants are still holding out against the onslaught.
That was a big reason why I wanted to work at this spot. I feel that with effort the native plants can hopefully thrive here. In late March I saw my first Pasqueflower ever on the easternmost hilltop, and in the central lowland there is the largest colony of Bloodroot I have seen. The plan for spring is to pull garlic mustard which has a pretty strong hold on one area in the lowland. I have pulled a little less than half of it as of writing this and hope to finish the rest of the area in a few weeks as the garlic mustard is already starting to flower. In the fall buckthorn removal will begin, and there is probably a few years worth of work to get that under control. This should be interesting.
Here are some pictures of Eagle Center Prairie State Natural Area from right about the time I adopted it in January.
On top of the first hill looking looking east.
One of the tornado-ravaged bur oaks that survived with new growth. All the brushy stuff underneath is buckthorn to be removed come this fall.
Standing at the southern border looking north to the prairie covered hills. Those hills will be my first focus for buckthorn removal come fall as they are the highest quality area on the property. The hill on the right is where the first picture was from.
Looking past some big bur oaks towards the lowland in the center of the site. Most all the low stuff beyond the trees is buckthorn needing removal.
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