 |
| Checking plant IDs with Jon Rigdon at TPE Marowski Bluff hike Image Nola Larson |
I could characterize these two weeks as "giant learning labs" for me. So much of my time outdoors involved guided hikes sponsored by The Prairie Enthusiasts (TPE) or the Natural Resource Foundation of WI (NRF). Add in a NRF canoe trip in the backwaters of the Mississippi near Ferryville WI and you can say I really went to school.
Each of these learning opportunities was powerful. I went on three TPE guided hikes. The knowledgeable TPE members and trip leaders revealed the history of both Mound Prairie and Marowski bluffs. They also eagerly identified rare plants and shared their knowledge of these and their work in prairie restorations.
 |
| Nicky Buck on He Mni Cha Bluff |
In the case of the TPE-sponsored hike on He Mni Cha (formerly known as Barn) Bluff in Red Wing, we learned about Dakota history, and use of prairie plants in healing and medicine from our guide Nicky Buck, a member of the Prairie Island Indian Community. She also helped us see the connection between land and people and caring for the land.
 |
| Unbloomed death camas Mound Prairie SNA |
All the TPE hike leaders pointed out rare plants and the interdependence of these plants on each other. These remnant hill prairies are preserved by the good work of teams of TPE volunteers who work on the bluff prairies to restore them to health and eradicate non-native invasives. Each prairie was a marvel of diversity and rare plants.
A final TPE-sponsored hike on June 15 introduced us to the recently acquired Marowski Bluff near Ferryville. There is much restoration work to be done there. We hiked around up and down this steep praries for less than than a quarter mile. Even so, the plant list for that hike (listed below) was eye-opening. Spectacular views of the river and IA bluffs greeted us on the steep prairie. While we didn't hike far, we learned tons about how the prairie was acquired, plans for the restoration and the importance of prescribed fire on this fire-dependent ecosystem. Kudos to TPE folks who worked so hard to acquire and now restore this land!
 |
| Natural Bridge rock formation |
Biologists at the NRF Natural Bridge State Park and SNA trip also shared history of the area as well as plant identification. The park is experiencing an infestation of spongy moths (formerly known as gypsy moths). We learned about their life cycle as well as efforts to eradicate them using natural methods. It was odd walking through the forest to the constant and insistent pitter-patter of spongy moth caterpillar droppings.
Luckily, this trip ended with an opportunity to learn more about native bumblebee species, their life cycle and identifying marks. I am pumped to try my new bumblebee ID skills in the field! You can up your skills by visiting WI's Bumblebee Brigade webpage to help learn more about and identify our local bumblebees.
 |
| Atop Mound Prairie Bluff with Scott Leddy our TPE guide |
If you haven't lately, I highly recommend going on a guided hike. You'll learn a ton from really knowledgeable subject experts while in the field. You can find a monthly list of learning opportunities on the last week of each month for the next month in my monthly "Let's Get Hiking and Learning" column. You can find June's events here.
On the phenology front, the weather over these two weeks was sunny and in the 70s with a few days of rain scattered throughout. I appreciated the rain so I could catch up on reading, blogging and landscape chores around the homefront!
The birdsongs were quieter in the open prairie bluff areas (and we were out later) than in the forested areas I often hike in. Despite some rain days, there were plenty of days to hit the trails and see the wonder of June in the Driftless area!
Because each of these two week's of hikes was so unique, I decided to split out the plant life I encountered into separate sections.
Hiking tip: the dry sand prairies in the Driftless area are particularly glorious right now and anyone of any ability can walk through the Trempealeau Wildlife Refuge, Holland Sand Prairie, Mathy Quarry and Hixon Forest prairies. You'll be gobsmacked by the floral exuberance.
Plants
Mound Prairie SNA, MN (TPE) - hill prairie
- Clasping milkweed
Small skullcap
Image -Betsy Knowles - Short green milkweed
- Narrowleaf milkweed
- Whorled milkweed
- Cream white indigo
- Small skullcap
- Palespike lobelia
- Harebell
- Prairie smoke
- Fringed puccoon
- Yellow salsify
- Death camas
- Black-eyed Susan
- Yellow star grass
- Blue-eyed prairie grass
- Ox-eye daisy
- Flowering spurge
- Prairie fleabane
- Lyreleaf rock cress
- Prairie groundsel
- Wood betony
- Leadplant
- Prairie rose
- Pasque flower leaf
- Horsetail
- Ninebark
Natural Bridges SNA, WI (NRF) - hardwood forest/wetlands
- Smooth rockcress
Eastern giant swallowtail
Natural Bridges State Park - Mayapples
- Poison ivy
- Yellow salsify
- Nettles
- Upright carrion flower
- False Solomon’s seal
- Lady fern
- Rock cap fern
- Ebony spleenwort
- Bulblet bladderfern
- Spiderwort
- Angelica
He Mni Cha (Barn) Bluff, MN (TPE) - hill prairie
- Burdock root
Ground plums
He Mni Chi Bluff - Pasque flower ( unbloomed)
- Leadplant
- Ground plum
- Hoary verbena
- Wild prairie rose
- Penstamon
- Rough blazing star (unbloomed)
- Candle anemone
- Orchard grass
- Canadian black snakeroot
- Yellow salsify
- Prairie groundsel
Holland Sand Prairie, WI - sand prairie
- Spiderwort
Swallowtail butterfly on hoary puccoon
Holland Sand Prairie - Prairie smoke
- Large beardstongue
- Hairy beardstongue
- Yarrow
- Lupine (leaves and seed pods)
- Candle anemone
- Prairie June grass
- White sagebrush
- Carolina larkspur
- Rough blazing star (unbloomed)
- Hoary alyssum
- Hoary puccoon
- Leadplant
- Wild bergamot (unbloomed)
- Canada goldenrod (unbloomed)
- Clasping milkweed
- Common milkweed
- Purple coneflower
- Ox-eye daisy
- Stiff goldenrod
- Red sorrel
South Park, Houston MN - hardwood forest/remnant hill prairie
- Death camas
Death camas
South Prrk, Houston - Harebells
- Lady fern
- Interrupted fern
- Sensitive fern
- Maidenhair fern
- Green milkweed
- Upright carrion flower
- Sweet cecily (past bloom)
- Jack-in-the -pulpit (past bloom)
- Canadian honewort
- Flowering spurge
- Hoary puccoon (past bloom)
- Bastard toadflax (past bloom)
- Stiff tickseed
- Canada ginger (past bloom)
- Leadplant
- Candle anemone
- Scarlet elf cap
- Dryad’s saddle
- Oyster mushroom
- Coral fungi
- Haploa moth
- Many butterflies who wouldn’t stay still for ID ;>
Marowski Bluff, WI (TPE) - hill prairie
- Whorled milweed
- Wild germander
- White snakeroot
- Blackberry lily (non-native)
- Goatsbeard
- Coreopsis
- Wild bergamot
Seven-spot ladybird on wild bergamot
Makowski Bluff - Virginia mountain mint
- Leadplant
- Skyblue aster
- Silky aster
- Common boneset
- Northern bedstraw
- Licorice bedstraw
- Eastern bedstraw
- Prairie dropseed
- Prairie brome
- Ground cherry
- Tall thimble weed
- Pussy toes
- Hoary puccoon
- Bloodroot
- Mayapple
- Canadian honewort
- Harebells
- Prairie junegrass
- Flowering spurge
- Grey headed coneflower
- Rough blazing star
- Wood sorrel
Wildlife
- Snowy egret
Spongy moth caterpillar - Great blue heron
- Prothonotary warbler
- Yellow warble
- Field sparrow
- Indigo bunting
- Red-eyed video
- Yellow-throated vireo
- Eastern peewee
- Eastern towhee
- Wood thrush
- Yellow-bellied sapsucker
- Hairy woodpecker
- Blue jay
- Cardinal
- Robin
- Rose-breasted grosbeak
- Wild turkey
- Tufted titmouse
- Indigo bunting
- Scarlet tanager
- Beaver
- American Eagle
- American pelican
- Eastern giant swallowtail
- Tiger swallowtail
- Harvestman spider
- Spongy moth caterpillar
- Seven-spot Ladybird
What are YOU noticing on your hikes?
Two weeks of hikes:
Mound Prairie SNA, Hokah, MN; Natural Bridge State Park, North Freedom, WI; He Mni Can (Barn) Bluff, Red Wing; Riverside Park, La Crosse WI; Holland Sand Prairie, New Amsterdam, WI; South Park, Houston MN; Marowski Bluff, Ferryville WI
 |
| Heading up the steep prairie at Mound Prairie SNA All images, unless otherwise noted - Marge Loch-Wouters |
No comments:
Post a Comment