A conference tradition continues! The online format of our 2021 conference let TPE’s amazing photographers show off their work to more people than ever. Read on to see who won. We received entries in five categories: people, seasons, flora/fauna, landscape and wabi-sabi (the beauty of transience or imperfection). Avid photographer and contest judge Jerry Newman narrowed […]
Pour some coffee, curl up in your favorite chair, and delve into these books written by members and friends of TPE! Is there a book that should be on this list? If you’re an author writing about ecology, or have a favorite TPE author you want to share with the world, reach out at communications@theprairieenthusiasts.org. […]
This article was a collaboration with Jeb Barzen. Interested in pitching in to save our fire-dependent ecosystems? TPE’s next prescribed burn crew training will be an online-only class on February 23, 2021 (the day before our TPE Online Conference). Instructors Rob Baller, Scott Fulton, and Andy Sleger from the Empire-Sauk Chapter will lead this all-day […]
Here’s a recap of Driftless Area phenology from the past month, written by our very own Pat Trochlell. Pat’s inspiration comes from her career as a wetland ecologist with the Wisconsin DNR. She and her husband, Ken Wade, live near and are stewards of TPE’s 30-acre Parrish Oak Savanna, a diverse woodland ecosystem of over 240 native […]
Landowner Services Coordinator Dan Carter writes about some special moments from the highly successful first year of TPE’s Landowner Services program. Dan’s schedule for 2021 is almost full. Email landowners@theprairieenthusiasts.org as soon as possible to discuss a visit to your property. For each of us in our own way, it’s been a tough year. We’ve shelved […]
This article was a collaboration with Rich Henderson. We in the Empire-Sauk Chapter are dreaming of a day when more red-headed woodpeckers, regal fritillaries, and other grassland- and savanna-loving species will use Schurch-Thomson Prairie. That dream is one step closer now, as 25 acres around the Schurch-Thomson barn have been freed from a Managed Forest […]
Incoming TPE Executive Director Debra Behrens tells the story of her journey into her new role. Debra wrote this additional greeting for our newsletter, The Prairie Promoter: It started as a wish. As a child visiting my grandparents in rural Minnesota, I fell in love with the vast prairie skies and the steady hum of insects […]
It’s been 4 years since our chapter started the Species Conservation Project (SCP) in northwest Illinois (see the feature article in the March 2016 Prairie Promoter here), and in those years I have occasionally written about the rare plant gardens we started to help the SCP along. Lonetree Farm’s rare plant garden beds. Photo by […]
Here’s a recap of Driftless Area phenology from the past month, written by our very own Pat Trochlell. Pat’s inspiration comes from her career as a wetland ecologist with the Wisconsin DNR. She and her husband, Ken Wade, live near and are stewards of TPE’s 30-acre Parrish Oak Savanna, a diverse woodland ecosystem of over 240 native […]
This article was a collaboration with Jeff Feece of Rochester Parks. Prairie Crossing Park in Rochester, Minnesota is living up to its name as the park’s managers strive to restore native plants to the site. Members of TPE’s Minnesota Driftless Chapter joined the volunteer efforts there earlier this month. Prairie Crossing is an 8.5-acre public […]
