Black Earth Rettenmund Prairie State Natural Area

Black Earth Rettenmund Prairie State Natural Area
Wisconsin State Natural Area
Black Earth Rettenmund Prairie
Country	United States
State	Wisconsin
County	Dane

Location	Black Earth
- coordinates	43°8′23″N 89°46′23″W / 43.13972°N 89.77306°W / 43.13972; -89.77306Coordinates: 43°8′23″N 89°46′23″W / 43.13972°N 89.77306°W / 43.13972; -89.77306

Area	16 acres (6 ha)

Founded	1986
Owner	The Prairie Enthusiasts

Location of Black Earth Rettenmund Prairie State Natural Area in Wisconsin

Black Earth Rettenmund Prairie is a Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources-designated State Natural Area featuring one of the few remaining dry-mesic prairies in Wisconsin, situated on a low Driftless Area knob and ridge. Despite the prairie's relatively small size, 130 native prairie plant species have been documented on the site. Many of these species are quite showy, including wood lily, shooting star, fringed puccoon, pasque flower, butterfly weed, and compass plant. Several rare species are also found on the site, including pomme-de-prairie, white camas, striped hairstreak, and the state-threatened species rough-stemmed false foxglove (Agalinis gattingeri) and regal fritillary.

The original land-surveyor records for the area indicate presettlement vegetation was treeless prairie. Following settlement in the area, the prairie escaped plowing, although some grazing undoubtedly occurred, and old tractor furrows can still be seen along the top of the ridge. The most recent private owners preserved the prairie for over 40 years. The gradual decline of the prairie over this time, as well as the owners' desire to preserve it, led to the Nature Conservancy's purchase of the prairie in 1986, below market value. Restoration of the prairie soon commenced, and in 2003, management was taken over by the Prairie Enthusiasts, an organization dedicated to preserving and restoring native prairie remnants. Full ownership of the site was transferred to the Prairie Enthusiasts in 2007.^[1]^[2]

Location and access

Black Earth Rettenmund Prairie is located in northwestern Dane County, approximately 1.25 miles (2.01 km) west of Black Earth. A small parking lot dedicated for the site is located along the south side of Fesenfeld Rd., approximately 0.25 miles (0.40 km) west of its intersection with County Highway F. A trail winds through the entire length of the prairie.^[3]

Looking southwest, along the southeast side of the ridge
Looking up at the ridge, from the parking lot
Mid-August prairie flowers, along the top of the ridge

References

↑ "Black Earth Rettenmund Prairie State Natural Area". Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved 2013-12-01.
↑ "Black Earth Rettenmund Prairie State Natural Area". The Prairie Enthusiasts. Retrieved 2013-12-01.
↑ Black Earth Rettenmund Prairie State Natural Area 210 (PDF) (Map). The Prairie Enthusiasts. Retrieved 2013-12-01.

External links

Protected areas of Wisconsin

Federal

National Park Service	Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Ice Age National Scientific Reserve Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway

National Forests	Chequamegon-Nicolet

National Wildlife Refuges	Driftless Area Fox River Gravel Island Green Bay Hackmatack Horicon Marsh Necedah Trempealeau Upper Mississippi River Whittlesey Creek

National Trails	Ice Age Trail Timms Hill Trail North Country Trail

National Estuarine Research Reserves	Lake Superior

National Wilderness System	Blackjack Springs Gaylord Nelson Headwaters Porcupine Lake Rainbow Lake Whisker Lake Wisconsin Islands

State

State Parks	Amnicon Falls Aztalan Belmont Mound Big Bay Big Foot Beach Blue Mound Brunet Island Buckhorn Capital Springs Copper Culture Copper Falls Council Grounds Devil's Lake Governor Dodge Governor Nelson Governor Thompson Harrington Beach Hartman Creek Heritage Hill High Cliff Interstate Kinnickinnic Kohler-Andrae Lake Kegonsa Lake Wissota Lakeshore Menominee River Merrick Mill Bluff Mirror Lake Natural Bridge Nelson Dewey New Glarus Woods Newport Pattison Peninsula Perrot Potawatomi Rib Mountain Roche-a-Cri Rock Island Rocky Arbor Straight Lake Tower Hill Whitefish Dunes Wildcat Mountain Willow River Wyalusing Yellowstone Lake

State Natural Areas	Abraham's Woods Bayshore Blufflands Black Earth Rettenmund Prairie Black Tern Bog Dells of the Wisconsin River Dorothy Lake Dunnville Barrens Gibraltar Rock Grandma Lake Kangaroo Lake Moquah Barrens Parfrey's Glen Pewits Nest Rush River Delta Spread Eagle Barrens Spruce Lake Bog Twin Lakes Bog Two Creeks Buried Forest Wind Pudding

State Recreation Areas	Browntown-Cadiz Springs Chippewa Moraine Fischer Creek Hoffman Hills Menominee River Richard Bong

State Forests	Black River Brule River Coulee Experimental Flambeau River Governor Knowles Havenwoods Kettle Moraine - Lapham Peak Unit Kettle Moraine - Loew Lake Unit Kettle Moraine - Northern & Southern Units Kettle Moraine - Pike Lake Unit Northern Highland-American Legion Peshtigo River Point Beach

State Historical Sites	Black Point Estate Circus World Museum First Capitol H. H. Bennett Studio Madeline Island Museum Old World Wisconsin Pendarvis Reed School Stonefield Sylvanus Wade House Villa Louis

State Wildlife Areas	Buena Vista Marsh Crex Meadows Dewey Marsh Horicon Marsh Killsnake Mead

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

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