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

We didn’t do any special projects here this year.  Mike mowed a little brush at the eastern edge – where there’s a goldenrod field bordering the prairie – so it was easier for me to find the Garlic Mustard that has invaded there.   I cut and treated some of the shrubs – mostly asian honeysuckles – that have invaded the prairie.  There are many more shrubs that I need to cut.  And I cut and treated Pale Indian-plantain.

3/25/2019  One day there were dozens of deer here, at the northern end of the prairie.  When I got close they all ran down the ravine into 3 Finger Valley.

 

3/27/2019  It’s easy to see the small bushes and trees that are coming up in the prairie.

 

7/8/2019  July mornings are a sea of blue Spiderwort

 

7/8/2019  A few of the Spiderworts are white.

 

7/8/2019

 

7/8/2019

 

8/7/2019  This is Pale Indian-plantain (Arnoglossum atriplicifolium).  It’s a plant that’s native to south-eastern Wisconsin, but when it’s planted elsewhere, it becomes aggressive and invasive.  I think the seeds must have come along with other seeds I purchased – I’ve never intentionally planted them.  It’s only growing in a few places, and only in this prairie.  I cut and treated all the ones I found.

 

8/7/2019

 

8/7/2019

 

8/11/2019

 

8/13/2019

 

8/20/2019  Canada Goldenrod is thick in this spot – to the left of the path.