To all TPE members, leaders and friends, As of today, both Illinois and Wisconsin have now issued statewide orders limiting travel and gatherings of all citizens outside of their homes to essential activities and jobs only. After a careful review of the Wisconsin order, we have concluded that we should immediately halt the current TPE burn […]
To all TPE members, leaders and friends, All of us, including individuals, families, and community organizations like TPE, need to respond appropriately to the COVID-19 pandemic. TPE’s chapters host a significant number of community gatherings, including burns, work parties, field trips, and other educational events, as well as chapter and committee meetings. Much of our […]
The Annual TPE Prairie Conference came and went without a hitch. As usual, there were a lot of moving pieces that fit together into a working harmony. Like with any natural prairie community, we needed the elements to come together, and they did. Looking back, it was a close call. Large groups on a college […]
It is with mixed emotions that we report on March 1 the TPE Board of Directors decided to begin a nationwide search for a new Executive Director to replace Chris Kirkpatrick. Chris has graciously agreed to work with us on the transition process until March 31. The Executive Committee of the Board (Jerry Newman, Alice […]
Nearly 260 prairie enthusiasts gathered Feb. 29 on a beautiful leap-year day at UW-Platteville campus for the 32nd annual TPE Conference and Banquet. Hosted by the Southwest and Prairie Bluff chapters, with coordination by Chapter Support staff, the team gained access to the building at 6:30 a.m. and scrambled to open […]
Historically significant and emblematic of the wildness that once existed along the towering bluffs of the Mississippi River, the timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) continues to survive in isolated pockets. Revered and respected by Native Americans, with some tribes calling it “Grandfather,” it was vilified by European settlers and now only thrives in the most remote […]
By Pam Richards Last summer a variety of prairies were discovered at Lake Carroll – a four-season recreational community between Lanark and Pearl City, Ill. Carroll County is the southern-most region of the TPE-monitored areas. These finds included a remnant, a planted prairie, and golf course prairies. Both the remnant and planted prairies were featured […]
What do TPE member and emeritus professor Tom Brock have in common with rock-n-roll star Steve Miller? In addition to never hearing of the other, they both were awarded Honorary Doctorate degrees from UW-Madison in May. Tom received the degree for his pioneering work on thermophilic (heat-loving) bacteria he had isolated and characterized from the […]
We watched the world strike for action on climate change last month. As we work for conserving prairie and savanna ecosystems in the region, support is growing for taking better care of our global ecosystem. At an Earth Day celebration in Madison earlier this year, TPE member Ron Endres met Eman Ghanem, a director at […]
This past winter the monarch butterfly populations overwintering in northern Mexico increased significantly for the first time in recent years. The butterflies used over 6 hectares of land at their winter roosting sites. This is significant, as the goal of the Mid-American Monarch Conservation Strategy is to increase the average to around 6 hectares of […]
