Ben Lee of Prairie Restoration watches over the prescribed burn late November at the Juniper Partners property in the LaCrosse Blufflands in LaCrosse, Wisc. The prescribed burn is necessary in order to control invasive species and restore the original habitat.
Andrew Aher of the Winona State University Nursing Club helps cut buckthorn in October at the Ledebuhr property. The Ledebuhr property is privately owned but is has an easement with MVC to gurantee the preservation of the land in case it is ever sold.
WSU student Pete Swansen looks at snail shells shown by Abby Crown-Vetch of MVC in October at the Ledebuhr property in Bluff Siding, Wisc. Education is part of gaining awareness for area conservation according to MVC.
The Medary Quarry leaves a once natural prairie scarred in the LaCrosse Blufflands in LaCrosse Wisc. The LaCrosse Blufflands is a combination of public property, private easements and MVC acquisitions totaling 864 protected acres.
Abbie Church of MVC cuts into a Black Locust tree late November in the LaCrosse Blufflands in LaCrosse, Wisc. The Black Locust is an invasive species that has a central root system but sprouts out of the ground in many spots over a large area making it hard to find and control.
Sara Randle of MVC girdles Black Locust trees to kill sprouts. The invasive species is girdeled instead of cut down because it would grow more sprouts.
The sun sets over the Juniper Partners property, a part of the LaCrosse Blufflands in LaCrosse, Wisc. On the other side of this bluff a prescribed fire burns to restore the bluff to it’s original environment.
Chris Kaolin of Tallgrass Restoration ignites a head fire as part of a prescribed burn late November at the Juniper Partners property in LaCrosse Wisc. The prescribed burn will allow native vegetation to grow faster and stronger next spring.
A mix of gasoline and diesel is used to ignite prescribed burns. The burn kills dead vegetation and invading plants which returns vital nutrients to the ground and exposes the ground to more oxygen and sunlight for native species to thrive.























WSU student Amanda Rehrauer listens to Abbie Church of MVC Tuesday as she explains the geography of the Ledebuhr Bluff Property in Bluff Siding, Wis. MVC hosted the hike and cleanup for WSU students to mark the beginning of a partnership between the organizations.
WSU students and MVC employees break for lunch Tuesday at the top of the Ledebuhr Bluff Property in Bluff Siding, Wis. After the hike students helped clear Buckthorn and Honeysuckle from the site. MVC said Buckthorn and Honeysuckle are invasive species choking the natural prairie.
Winona State University student Pete Swanson looks at snail shells Tuesday presented by Abby Crown-Vetch of Mississippi Valley Conservany at the Ledebuhr Bluff Property. Crown-Vetch said that it’s a mystery how the snails were able to survive on top of a bluff which has a dry climate. Both sides said the partnership of WSU and MVC will help answer some of these questions.
The stumps of Buckthorn are sprayed with an environmentally safe chemical that prevents the tree from growing. The stumps glow green when sprayed to keep track of which ones have been sprayed.
WSU students helped cut down Buckthorn and Honeysuckle with the MVC Tuesday at the Ledebuhr Bluff Property in Bluff Siding, Wis. WSU professor Drake Hokanson said in the future WSU biologists will help identify, catalog and examine the habitat on the 20-acre property. The goal is to return the land to its original state.
Anna Flores, a Winona State University student and member of the WSU Photo League took photos and helped clear brush Tuesday at the Ledebuhr Bluff Property in Bluff Siding, Wis. Students will be able to come to the property in the future to take photos as the land improves.












Alfred Evans is welcomed home after traveling to Washington D.C. with World War ll veterans Saturday at the Rochester International Airport. Evans was able to fly to D.C. with other veterans, free of charge, to view the World War ll memorial courtesy of the Honor Flight organization.