The Prairie Enthusiasts Field Trip

Prairie Enthusiast Field Trip to Smith-Reiner Drumlin Prairie

Mother's Day, Sunday May 10 -  2:00 to 3:30 PM

Take mom on a hike for Mother’s Day to see displays of bird-foot violets, downy yellow painted-cup, prairie smoke, blue-eyed grass, puccoon, and other early spring wildflowers of The Prairie Enthusiasts’ Smith-Reiner Drumlin Prairie.  This 40-acre State Natural Area has a pair of dry drumlin hills with original native prairie.  Drumlins are elongated low hills formed by the passing of the last glacier.  Smith-Reiner is home to a number of rare plants and prairie insects, and grassland birds such as eastern meadowlarks and grasshopper sparrows.  The former cropland between the hills was planted to prairie last year and more seed will be added over the coming years to reestablish rare deep soil (mesic) prairie. Interested in helping collect seed?  If so, come learn more about it. 

Trip leader:  Rich Henderson (608-845-7065 or tpe.rhenderson@tds.net).

Directions:  From the intersection of US Hwy 12 and Hwy 73 (2.5 miles west of Cambridge, WI), take 73 south 1.5 miles to County PQ.  Turn left (east) onto PQ.  Proceed 1.0 miles to Clearview Road.  Turn right (south) on Clearview go 0.6 miles.  Park along the road, but off the shoulder.  We will be hiking approximately 2 miles total.