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.

Tarps are used to protect the integrity on steep bluffs from erosion.  The tarps are laid on cut-away portions of the bluffs to direct water flow and allow natural prairie species to return.

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.

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