Some folks from The Prairie Enthusiasts came out last weekend to help us cut brush on one of our remnant savannas.  It was great fun – a beautiful fall day, and we all worked very hard and got a lot done.

The savanna is at the top of a bluff, above our largest remnant prairie – Sumac Prairie.  At the top of the prairie, sumac, prickly ash, honeysuckle and buckthorn are crowded in under some old, open grown Burr Oaks, and lots of small oak saplings.  Our goal was to open up the area between where we had done some previous cutting projects, and connect to another small remnant – Sumac Corner Prairie.

Here are some ‘before’ photos.

This is looking west, toward the point of the bluff – you can’t see Sumac Corner Prairie at all – it’s behind all that thick brush.

A grove of small Burr Oaks – choked with brush.

The crew: Marcie, Mike, Kathy, Joanne, Lee

Our brush piles – looking toward Sumac Corner Prairie

More brush piles

A few days later, Mike and I went back with the powertrack and moved all the piles back into the woods.

Mike – moving piles

The grove of small oaks that Kathy and Lee worked on

The view of Sumac Corner Prairie – now we can see, and walk, through!