THE PRAIRIE ENTHUSIASTs

Land management and stewardship activites in 2022 included: prescribed burning; clearing aggressive brush and trees and removing nonnative forbs; and dispersing native plant seeds for Prairie reconstruction and restoration. Much of this work is performed by volunteers throughout The organization's 11 regional chapters. Those chapters protect and steward ecosystems within Wisconsin, Illinois and Minnesota. In 2022, The Prairie Enthusiasts also contributed $600,000 to a land management endowment at its affiliated trust for The continued restoration and protection of mounds view grassland, which is a large area of rare habitat outside of madison, Wisconsin.

The Prairie Enthusiasts focus on protection of rare, fire-dependent ecosystems of The upper midwest. Protection is achieved with The collaboration of landowners through land donations, purchases, and easements entrusted to The Prairie Enthusiasts. In 2022, The Prairie Enthusiasts completed a capital campaign and purchased an additional 260 acres adjoining The mounds view grassland. With this addition, mounds view grassland now accounts for 832 acres of land that is protected in perpetuity.

Education and outreach activites include: prescribed burn training; distributing a publication called "The Prairie promoterx; hosting an annual conference with various learning sessions; conducting field tours of local prairies and savannas; a staff ecologist who performs landowner visits and provides management advice; and offering workshops like plant and butterfly identification.