Big View Prairie – 2019

[To see photos and stories of this prairie in other years, go to the links on the main Big View Prairie page.]

‘Ku-le Region Forestry did more work on the scrubby forest just above Pine Point Prairie this year.  They’ve got most of it cleared now, and are nearly ready to start clearing the small trees and invasive brush in the overgrown savanna just above it.

I treated Garlic Mustard, and cut and treated Common Burdock in the woods above Big View Prairie this year.

Then, in October, our friend Todd started working on cutting out the smaller, non-oak trees in that woods.  We’d like to get it cleared enough that it turns back into savanna again.   He piled the wood and branches he cut, and Mike and I moved them to a big pile back in the woods.  Todd started at the eastern edge of the woods, and got quite a bit done before the snow came.  We’re hoping he can start up again in the spring.

3/18/2019  This is a view of the whole point before any of us started working.  The field is Pine Point Prairie.  The top edge of the field, with the brushy area to the left just below the woods is a mix of small cherry and oak trees and invasive brush that grew up after we had the pine woods logged.  This is the part that ‘Ku-le Region Forestry has been working to clear out.  Above that is the overgrown savanna.  Above that is the remnant bluff prairie – Big View Prairie.  And above that, on the ridge, is the narrow woods that Todd worked on.

 

3/26/2019  Work has started on the brush below the savanna/woods.

 

9/16/2019  Looking through the woods above the prairie toward Praag Valley, just before Todd started work.

 

9/16/2019  Looking east down the path to the top of Big View Prairie before Todd started work.

 

9/28/2019  The same view, after Todd cut some of the trees and brush.

 

9/28/2019  Looking west through what used to be woods.  It looks pretty messy, but once the cut wood is cleared out, and it starts to recover, it should start to look more like savanna.

 

9/28/2019   More savanna-like woods.

 

9/28/2019

 

9/28/2019  New view through the woods into Praag Valley

 

9/28/2019  A few of the piles we moved back into the woods

 

9/28/2019  View of the newly cleared woods from Western Prairie

 

10/7/2019  The opened up view from the bench.  This area used to have several huge honeysuckles.

 

10/7/2019  Bald Eagle checking out the new landscape

 

11/2/2019

 

11/23/2019

 

10/7/2019  The brushy strip below the woods is nearly gone – there’s just a bit left on the left side.  And now we can see through the trees at the top where Todd was working.