34 The DRIFTLESS EXPLORER • 2016 Southwest Wisconsin Grasslands

The Southwest Wisconsin Grasslandand Stream Conservation Area

A Hiking Tour of the Southwest WisconsinGrassland and Stream Conservation Area’sWDNR Bird Conservations Areas

The Southwest Grassland Stream & Con­servation Area (SWGSCA) sits within theSouth West Wisconsin Driftless Area. It is a470,000­acre grassland landscape that be­gins 30 miles southwest of Madison andcontinues west with its northern borderflanked by Mount Horeb, Barneveld,Dodgeville and Montfort. The southernboundary drops to the Platteville area andskirts back east to the Your Prairies justwest of New Glarus. A diverse group ofpartners who are all interested in thesegrasslands for many different reasons areworking together to insure generations tocome will inherit this wonderful grasslandlandscape and the rich culture that it sup­ports. The Department of Natural Re­sources owns land in several SWGSCA BirdConservation Areas which you can hike andeven fish and hunt if you choose.

Stop #1 & #2 SWGSCA Sherven and Gnewuch Properties

DIRECTIONS: From the Madison area:Take US Hwy 18/151 west. Proceed toCounty Highway G and turn south. Con­tinue Southwest to where Highway A joins

Highway G. Watch for the WDNR parkinglot sign on the west side of the road.

From Mount Horeb: Take either Highway92 and turn right (west) or take Highway 78and turn left (east) on Highway A. The park­ing lot is in the west side of the section ofroad where both Highways G and A join.

From the South: US Highway 39, turnnorth on Highways J & JG. Take Highways Aand G north and look for the parking lot tothe west.

The Sherven and Gnewuch propertiesare located in Perry and Primrose town­ships in western Dane County. Here you willfind a sea of grass in which the threatenedHenslow’s sparrow loves to nest in. Look forthe regal upland sandpiper. Many grasslanddependent species thrive on this propertyincluding meadowlarks and bobolinks.These properties have been broken downinto management units that are currentlybordered by mowed trail to facilitate habi­tat work. These ephemeral trails offer easyhikes into the grasslands. There is a parkinglot off of Highway G where there is a trailhead. On the NE corner of the propertyLook for evidence of where a forestrymower recently removed invasive brushand reclaimed the grassland needed by

these birds. These grasslands are the resultof the former landowner’s enrollment inthe Conservation Reserve Program. Theocean of grass you see the cool season anddomestic brome grass. There are remnantprairie species and the insects they host ofmost of the knolls that crest the acres ofgrass. Management will focus on mowing,with burning and chemical control ofweeds used if needed. Please contactMaureen.rowe@wisconsin.gov if you are

Upland Sandpiper

Dickcissel

continued on page 35

2016 • The DRIFTLESS EXPLORER 35Southwest Wisconsin Grasslands

interested in helping out in the propertythrough the “Adopt a Wildlife Program”.You can head north from here to enjoy theNorwegian town of Mount Horeb and findgood bakery, restaurants and shops – Or,you can continue to ourthird hiking destination:the SWGSCA Davis Prop­erty near Mineral Point.

Stop # 3 SWGSCA DavisProperty

DIRECTIONS: From theSherven and GnewuchProperties go south onHighways J & JG and take aright (west) on Highway 39.

From the Madison area: Take US Hwy18/151 west. Proceed to County HighwayG and turn south. Continue Southwest towhere Highway A joins Highway G. Watchfor the WDNR parking lot sign on the west

side of the road. From Mount Horeb: Take either Highway

92 and turn right (west) or take Highway 78and turn left (east) on Highway A.

The parking lot is in the west side of thesection of road where both Highways G andA join.

From the South: US Highway 39, turnnorth on Highways J & JG. Take Highways A

and G north and look forthe parking lot to thewest.

The SWGSCA DavisProperty north of Min­eral Point is currentlybeing managed throughthe use of cattle whichhave kept shrubs out.We will gradually be in­creasing species diversity

through a suite of management tech­niques. Parking is available on the propertyoff of Bennett Road. Be sure to close thecattle gates behind you and enjoy walkingdown the graveled access lane which inter­sects the heart of the property. Steer clear

of the livestock, be sure never to get be­tween a cow and her calf or a bull and hisherd and enjoy the valley! Look for evi­dence of the original homestead and bringyour binoculars and perhaps a fishing poleas you walk parallel to the stream. You willfeel like you are a visiting the land as it wasfound a hundred years ago. You are thenonly a hop, skip and a jump from MineralPoint where you will find many great eats,shops and galleries in this historic miningtown.

Prairie is the most endangered habitat inthe Midwest. SW Wisconsin has the highestnumber of prairie remnants in the Mid­west. This area is a hotbed for grasslandsongbirds. We are managing for grasslanddependent species including: Henslow’ssparrow, Upland Sandpiper, Grasshoppersparrow, Dickcissel, Meadowlark. Withinthe oak savannas’ we are targeting: Bell’sVireo, Brown Thrasher, Field sparrow, red­headed woodpecker and Willow Flycatcher.Visiting SWGSCA WDNR BCA’s offers abeautiful tour by car – and allows you tostep out for hike. Visit dnr.wi.gov/topics/Lands/grasslands/swgrassland.html to findan interactive map showing the location ofthese and partners properties.

Henslow’s Sparrow

Regal fritillary butterfly

SWGSCAcontinued from page 34

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Photo by Ann Swengel/WI & US Butterfly Specialist©

36 The DRIFTLESS EXPLORER • 2016 Southwest Wisconsin Grasslands

Fishing Streams in Wisconsin’sSouthwest Grasslands

Stream easements allow easy water access in the Driftless Area

The WDNR and landowners have been working together toensure fishing access to high quality trout and smallmouth bass

streams across the state. Many of these are concentratedright here in the Driftless region! Streambank easements

generally allow public access on 66 feetto either side of streams.

Look up open lands in your area!http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/lands/PAL/

2016 • The DRIFTLESS EXPLORER 37Southwest Wisconsin Grasslands

The Nature Conservancy

A Driving Tour of the Military Ridge PrairieHeritage Area

The Military Ridge Prairie Heritage Area,a 95,000­acre grassland landscape in Dane,Iowa and Green counties, is located about30 miles southwest of Madison. Prairie is themost endangered habitat in the Midwest,with only 0.1% of remnant prairie habitatremaining.

Stop #1: Thomson Memorial PrairiePreserve

DIRECTIONS: From the Madison area,take US Hwy. 18/151 west. Proceed to thesouthwestern edge of Blue Mounds. Turnleft on County F and continue south for justover one mile. At the intersection withCounty Highway Z, turn right – this will keepyou on County Highway F. The preserve willbe on your right after another half mile. Parkin the small fenced parking lot or along theside of the road and take a few minutes toread our informational kiosk. You may hikethe prairie, however, there are no markedtrails here, and poison ivy is found inpatches, and one patch grows near thekiosk – so please be careful!

Recreating a larger grassland ecosystemAt our first stop, you’ll see great examples

of remnant prairie on the rocky hilltops,which we are supplementing with newprairie plantings. Prior to settlement, manyhilltops and steep slopes in this part of thestate were covered with the dry prairie veg­etation you see here. Little remains of Wis­consin’s once extensive grasslands, andtoday, this is one of the few remaining dry

prairies in the state. Those that have man­aged to survive, like Thomson MemorialPrairie, are small, isolated and fragmented.The Nature Conservancy owns and managesmore than 500 acres of land here at Thom­son Prairie.

The Nature Conservancy, The Prairie En­thusiasts and other Military Ridge partnersare working to recreate a larger grasslandecosystem, which involves carefully manag­ing and expanding places like Thomson Me­morial Prairie.

If you look across the road behind you,you’ll also see land owned by a farmer whohas 300 acres enrolled in the ConservationReserve Program (CRP). Keeping land in CRPis another way of managing land that com­plements our goal of protecting and enlarg­ing this grassland landscape.

Stop #2: Schurch­Thomson PrairieDIRECTIONS: From Thomson Prairie, con­

tinue driving south about 3miles on County Highway Funtil you reach Reilly Road.On your right, prior to mak­ing the turn onto Reilly Road,slow down to view an exten­sive, privately­owned grass­land property that provides avaluable, treeless landscapefor grassland birds. This landis used as a research site byuniversity and Department ofNatural Resources bird re­searchers. For the second stop, you will takea right on Reilly Road and follow the roaduntil it dead ends at The Prairie Enthusiastssign and kiosk. We encourage you to readthe kiosk and get out and explore this beau­tiful prairie preserve.

Butterflies, badgers and bull snakesThe Nature Conservancy is known for

bringing partners together to achievegreater results than if we were to workalone. Our relationships with other non­profit organizations, local landowners, uni­versity researchers and governmentagencies are essential to success in placeslike Military Ridge.

The Prairie Enthusiasts is one of these keypartners and they have been working to re­store this site for more than 20 years. Thanksto their efforts, Schurch­Thomson Prairienow contains more than 220 species of na­tive plants and supports many butterfliesand other prairie insects, as well as raregrassland birds and animals like the badgerand bull snake.

Run mainly by volunteers, The Prairie En­thusiasts is a private, grassroots organizationsolely dedicated to protecting and managingthe last remaining pieces of the once vast,now endangered prairies and savannas ofthe Upper Midwest.

In addition to The PrairieEnthusiasts, other partnersworking in the Military RidgePrairie Heritage Area includethe Natural Resources Con­servation Service, WisconsinDepartment of Natural Re­sources, U.S. Fish & WildlifeService, Pheasants Forever,Southwest Badger ResourceConservation and Develop­

ment Council, and faculty andstudents from the University

of Wisconsin­Madison.Another way The Nature Conservancy

works with partners is by assisting privatelandowners who want to plant their land tonative grasses. Private support, from the Al­liant Energy Foundation and other donors,helps us secure the public funding thatmakes our work with private landowners

continued on page 38

Barneveld Prairie flowers Sandhill cranes Monarch on goldenrod

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38 The DRIFTLESS EXPLORER • 2016 Southwest Wisconsin Grasslands

possible. You drove by one example of thisas you made your way down County High­way F, right after the intersection of CountyHighways F and Z. A neighboring farmer onthe west side of the road has used this addi­tional money to plant new prairie on hisland.

Stop #3: Pecatonica Stream RestorationSite

DIRECTIONS: To get to the third stop,head back to County Highway F and take aright. Continue south, then west to MoundsView Road. Once you reach Mounds ViewRoad take a right. This landscape is a mix ofworking dairy farms and native grasslands.You will also pass several other prairie rem­nants on the eastern side of the road, as wellas another Prairie Enthusiasts kiosk. Con­tinue on Mounds View Road until it inter­sects with Prairie Grove Road. Take a left onPrairie Grove Road and head west towardthe intersection of Prairie Grove and CountyHighway K. Ahead of you, across CountyHighway K, you will see grasslands, ridgesand an oak savanna restoration in progress.As you cross the bridge over a branch of thePecatonica River, look to the south (on theleft) and you will see our stream restorationproject.

Park in the parking area found on the westside of County Highway K just up the roadfrom Prairie Grove Road. There is no infor­mational kiosk at this stop. To best view ourwork here, walk back down Prairie GroveRoad to the stream. We encourage you tospend a few minutes walking along thestream and through the prairie.

Frogs calling once againIn 2006, The Nature Conservancy restored

a half mile of habitat along the PecatonicaRiver. If you stand on the bridge, looking

north you can see what the river looked likebefore the restoration. Like many streams insouthwestern Wisconsin, the banks are highand covered with trees, with steep banks ofbeautiful dark soil that crumbles easily intothe water. Whenever the stream rises, por­tions of the bank slump down and washdown the river, creating water pollutiondownstream. The waters of the Pecatonicaflow into the Mississippi and all the waydown to the Gulf of Mexico. Looking south,you will see the restored section of the river,which now flows shallowand wide and is lined withnative prairie.

During the restoration,trees were removed fromthe stream corridor, sedi­ment in the floodplain wasexcavated and the landwas re­contoured to grad­ually slope toward theriver. The area was seeded with native wet­prairie plant species. More than 50 nativeplants and five species of frogs and toadshave colonized the restored floodplain.

Monitoring of this restoration by the Uni­versity of Wisconsin­Madison shows thatstream banks have withstood severe flood­ing releasing very little sediment into theriver. The Nature Conservancy continues towork with partners to monitor the results ofthese restoration efforts.

This restoration project is being used as amodel for preventing sediment runoff andcreating wetland habitat critical for frogs,turtles, dragonflies and migrating birds, aswell as helping to mitigate flood damageduring heavy rains. Southwest Wisconsinrivers, like the Pecatonica, are a tremendousregional resource. Not only are they an im­portant source of freshwater for people andnature, they also are economically valuabletrout streams. The new prairie that isplanted in the uplands of the Military Ridgeregion will help prevent agricultural runoff

and will work to keep streams like the Peca­tonica clean and healthy.Stop #4: Muehllehner Addition toBarneveld Prairie

DIRECTIONS: For the fourth and final stop,exit the parking lot (if you parked your car)and head north on County Highway K for ap­proximately one mile until it junctions withLangberry Road. Turn left and head west onLangberry Road. You will pass the BothamVineyards and Winery on your right. At theintersection of Langberry and Lee roads, you

can park on the side of theroad. There is another infor­mation kiosk just a shortwalk in front of you. Whenyou are finished at this stop,head back on LangberryRoad to County Highway K.Take a left on County High­way K and head north to USHwy. 18/151. Turn right to

head east back to Madison.

Restoring the prairieThe Muehllehner addition to Barneveld

Prairie is a great example of how a workingagricultural landscape can also support con­servation. We are actively planning and re­storing prairie on what was once marginalfarmland, as well as allowing neighboringlandowners to graze certain parcels of thepreserve and remove hay from the prairieafter the grassland birds have finished nest­ing.

In 2002, when The Nature Conservancypurchased the property, more than 200acres of this land was covered in soybeansand corn, and many former pastures wereoverrun with brush and trees. Since then wehave been removing buckthorn, honey­suckle, prickly ash, and other invading treesand shrubs, and collecting the seeds of na­tive wildflowers for use in future prairieplantings to create the diverse prairie land­scape you see in front of you today.

Another way we partner with neighboringlandowners is by sharing the wood that iscleared off our land during the restorationprocess. Local landowners help us manageour land by sharing their resources andequipment and, in turn, use the wood thatis cleared to heat their farms using outdoorwoodburning stoves.

Through our project, we hope to inspireother landowners to turn oak woods, over­run by invading brush and shade toleranttrees, into oak openings that add to thegrassland landscape of Military Ridge.

NATURE CONSERVANCYcontinued from page 37

2016 • The DRIFTLESS EXPLORER 39Southwest Wisconsin Grasslands