Prairie Restoration in Green County, Wisconsin

Abstract

This paper lays out a comparison of prairie restoration sites in three separate stages of progress: one prospective, one in-progress and one established. Through interviews with three restoration experts connected to each of the sites, we determined the challenges and benefits of each stage of the restoration as well as what makes a prairie ideal for restoration. We inspected archival data and land use records to understand the history of each site and how that may affect the success of future projects. Based off of our findings, we created a website as an educational tool. Consistent controlled burns are vital for the management of invasive species, and herbicide should be utilized only when necessary. We found that restoration tends to be more successful in the presence of a remnant prairie, knowledgeable, consistent labor and a water source. We discovered that process of restoration is never quite done.