The Prairie Enthusiasts

Welcome to the web site of the Coulee Region Chapter of The Prairie Enthusiasts!

Our Mission Statement: The Coulee Region chapter of The Prairie Enthusiasts was  created to protect prairie and related oak ecosystem remnants through acquisition, management and distribution of educational material.

Events
Event:	Chapter Meeting/workday
Date:	Saturday September 11, 2010
Time:	10:00 a.m.
Location:	Norskedalen Nature Center near Coon Valley
Directions:	Directions to Norskedalen
Details:	A general membership meeting will be followed by brushing on a remnant at Norskedalen. For the workparty: bring work gloves and loppers or hand saws if you have them. Herbicide will be provided, but your favorite application tool and protective gloves can be brought if you want to treat cut stumps. Insect repellant may be needed!
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Workparties
A brushing workparty will follow the meeting on September 11 at Norskedalen. Volunteers are needed at the Elk Creek project. Contact Jessica (email link above) for details.
Educational materials The Coulee Region Chapter has developed some educational materials for use with landowners. These materials are the very basic information that would be of interest to landowners with goat prairie remnants. Link to materials.
Newsletters
See Coulee Region newsletters for information on what we do.
Prairies we manage
Sugar Creek Bible Camp
The Sugar Creek Bible Camp Prairie-Savanna-Woodland Complex contains six acres of this rare dry-prairie and fourteen acres of the globally imperiled oak savanna. Over 140 plant species were recorded on the bluff prairie. Reptiles including the bull snake, blue racer, and six-lined racerunner were also recorded. In 2000, TPE entered into a 10-year agreement to manage this prairie-savanna-woodland complex. Restoration methods of controlled burning, understory thinning, and exotic species removal have provided opportunities for hands on restoration, education, increased biodiversity, and above all maintaining these ecologically important communities for present and future generations to enjoy. TPE has conducted several prescribed burns at the site, including one in 2009.
Kickapoo Reserve Prairie
In the late winter of 2001, the Coulee Region chapter seeded forty-six forbs and several grass species (nearly 28lbs.) into a four-acre area near the old dam site along the Kickapoo River in the reserve boundary. This was after we attempted a burn the fall before with some brush cutting involved. The area is for all intents and purposes a pilot project to see how well prairie seeds take over on land that has only mechanical weed control allowed. We've aggressively burned and interseeded in recent years.
Decorah Mound
The Decorah Mound, near Galesville, contains remnant oak-savanna that transitions to a dry-prairie on the "mound". TPE has a management agreement with The Nature Conservancy, owners of the property. Work has included a 5-acre prescribed burn in 2007 and brush and tree removal in 2008. Decorah Mound in 2009 (photo by Gordy Powell)

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