Brownsville (MN) Bluff Field Trip

Heading up the hill prairie's steep slope

Thanks to the Coulee Region chapter and the MN Driftless chapter of The Prairie Enthusiasts, an enthusiastic group of prairie buffs had the privilege of hiking an iconic bluff behind Brownsville in late August. This steep hill prairie is privately owned. But Dave and Laurie opened up their prairie so we could hike it and hear about the planned restoration work to return this beautiful prairie remnant to its full glory.

The Prairie Enthusiasts write about these small islands of remnant prairie that exist throughout the Driftless area: "Hill prairies are island-like patches of prairie vegetation that occurring on otherwise wooded steep slopes. This prairie vegetation usually occurs only on the slopes, where a combination of factors such as the south to west-facing slope aspect, steep slope angle, dry prevailing winds, and well-drained soil result in droughty conditions. Other common names for hill prairies include bluff prairies, goat prairies, and prairie openings. Hill prairies likely never formed large, continuous belts, but were fragmented by forested ravines that dissect the uplands."

We started in a heavily wooded area and then headed up the steep prairie while learning about the history of the property, the partnerships that are happening to remove invasives and the importance of timber rattlers in the ecological balance of the prairie.

The "big" views were spectacular...

...so were the small views -
cyclindrical blazing star

Along the way we were treated to an array of prairie plants and grasses - mountain mint, prairie goldenrod, cylindrical blazing star, yellow flax, naked sunflower, mustache grass, blue flax, blooming Indian grass, leadplant and more. Hikers from both the Prairie Enthusiast chapters stopped and talked about these plants and helped identify many as we stepped carefully around them.

The hike finished returning to the woods along the blufftop where we saw an effigy mound and then continued down through the woods on old logging roads to the start.

The hike was a valuable learning experience as well as a darn good aerobic climb. My fascination with prairie remnant preservation and restoration only grows as I attend these fascinating hike-and-learn opportunities. I look forward to seeing this prairie in a few years after more restoration work is done.

All images - Marge Loch-Wouters