Summer 2002

Over 475 species of native plants make this place a rare ecological treasure

Kenosha County, Wisconsin

Looking for a place to really test your plant identification skills? Try Chiwaukee Prairie. Halfway between Chicago and Milwaukee (just outside Kenosha), Chiwaukee boasts nationally significant geological features along with a potpourri of wildlife and over 475 species of native plants.

A gift of glaciation, Chiwaukee Prairie received its first impact fifteen thousand years ago during the Pleistocene Epoch. With the advance and retreat of Lake Michigan, the future prairie was covered with sand and gravel. The end result was a predominately wet prairie containing raised fen and sedge meadow, rolling dunes to the northeast and isolated pockets of bur oak, black oak and hickories along the southern and western borders.

In 1929, Chiwaukee was subdivided for development. However, the Great Depression halted construction until the 1940s, when houses encroached on the large central prairie.

Twenty-five years later, local botanists Phil Sander and Al Krampert initiated efforts to protect what land remained. Within a year, The Nature Conservancy purchased scattered lots adding up to 15 acres. By 1996, more than 500 acres had been preserved. Today, The Nature Conservancy owns and manages the 225-acre Chiwaukee South parcel. The remaining acres, surrounded by homes, are protected by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, but the quest to preserve additional land continues.

A rare ecological treasure, Chiwaukee Prairie provides habitat for seventy-six species of birds (including blue-winged teal, little green herons, and wood ducks), ten species of snakes (none of which are poisonous) and five species of bats. Mink, badger, coyote, red fox, frogs and toads make appearances, as well as microscopic red-tailed prairie leafhoppers. Importantly, the site is also home to numerous state-endangered species, including silphium borer moths and Blandings turtles.

Chiwaukee Prairie Preservation Fund volunteer Donna Peterson says visitors might see bobolinks, upland sandpipers, kildeers and snipes. Among the site's significant finds is a lovely assortment of orchids. "We have found two new orchids in the past five years — the small yellow lady slipper and the northern green orchid," notes Peterson. Prairie white-fringed orchids also adorn the site along with spiderwort, butterfly weed, coreopsis, three types of gentians, prairie dock, rosinweed, tuberous Indian plantain and a rare false foxglove.

"The Nature Conservancy is currently in the process of restoring wild lupine to attract butterflies and other wildlife," explains botanist Heather Patti. "We also work with the village to minimize impacts from nearby construction."

A mile-long, single-track trail beckons visitors from all walks of life to revel in Chiwaukee's splendor. Hiking is the way to experience nature here, as pets, horses, bicycles and motorized vehicles are not allowed in the preserve.

Volunteers from The Nature Conservancy and Chiwaukee Prairie Preservation Fund meet on the third Saturday of each month at the trailhead on 121st Street and 2nd Avenue for restoration work from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. For more information, call Marcia Wensing (262) 681-8485.