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Moely Prairie @moelyprairie.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

Join us this Saturday, June 27th at 9am for a walking tour of Moely Prairie in Prairie du Sac, WI. The Prickly Pear Cactus is sure to be blooming among other native plants.

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Reposted by Moely Prairie

Stephanie @blooming-burbs.bsky.social · 07/03/2025

wapo.st/41qhPNv "The findings likely underestimate the true scale of loss, said Wagner, since the researchers did not have enough data to make assessments of some of the rarest species also likely in decline." 😢🦋 Are you planting or expanding your pollinator gardens this year? I am! ✋🌱🌼🐛🐝

wapo.st

Butterflies in the U.S. are disappearing at a ‘catastrophic’ rate

The number of butterflies in the contiguous United States declined by 22 percent this century, a collapse with potentially dire implications.

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Moely Prairie @moelyprairie.bsky.social · 07/03/2025

Great news on the over-wintering population of Monarch butterflies in Mexico this year. While there was almost double the amount of Monarchs counted compared to 2023/2024 numbers, populations are still at an all time low. They are beginning their return trip north and we will welcome them!

journeynorth.org

03/05/25 Eastern monarch population count announced

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Moely Prairie @moelyprairie.bsky.social · 04/02/2025

For all of my prairie people and nature lovers in general, Cindy Crosby is a gem and puts out beautiful photos and information about the prairie she loves most. Consider a follow!

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Moely Prairie @moelyprairie.bsky.social · 04/02/2025

You don’t necessarily need to be from their area to learn so much from these native plant people and organizations. Their messages are what’s important and then adjust to plant native plants designed for your own area.

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Moely Prairie @moelyprairie.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

This is a great suggestion for reusing your plant containers! Thanks @thesnarkyfarmer.bsky.social !!

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Moely Prairie @moelyprairie.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

Great article from @thesnarkyfarmer.bsky.social on growing medicinal herb gardens.

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Moely Prairie @moelyprairie.bsky.social · 28/01/2025

200 Monarch butterflies were found dead or dying this week next to the Pacific Grove Monarch Sanctuary. Preliminary investigation suggested they died from multiple types of pesticides. Please, before these creatures go extinct, stop spraying pesticides!

xerces.org

How Urban Pesticides Can Harm Monarch Butterflies: A Cautionary Tale from California

In January 2024, volunteers stumbled upon a devastating scene: scores of dead and dying monarch butterflies near the Pacific Grove Monarch Sanctuary overwintering grove.

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Moely Prairie @moelyprairie.bsky.social · 23/01/2025

Please. I beg of you. Stop using pesticides around your homes. They are so harmful to insects of all kinds. #pesticidefree #nopesticides

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Moely Prairie @moelyprairie.bsky.social · 22/01/2025

So true! I plant many native plants loved by Rusty-patched bumblebees and Monarchs, but all pollinators benefit.

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Moely Prairie @moelyprairie.bsky.social · 18/01/2025

Moely Prairie has a manmade pond across the highway and so the dragonflies that hatch there often find their way to the prairie for a meal. They are such amazing creatures and so beautiful too!

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Moely Prairie @moelyprairie.bsky.social · 17/01/2025

For anyone looking to learn more about Monarch butterflies and the so many ways in which you can help, be sure to follow this amazing group!

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Moely Prairie @moelyprairie.bsky.social · 17/01/2025

Let me introduce one of the best bumblebee sights you’ll find. While it is specific to the Midwest, the information they share can be applied to almost anywhere in the US. Follow and give some love! #bumblebees

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Moely Prairie @moelyprairie.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

This Siberian elm is not native to the US but instead comes to us from East Asia. It and others like it line our borders and negatively affect our prairie restoration efforts due to their prolific (weedy) seeding and no prairie restoration project needs that. 🤨 #prairierestoration #invasivespecies

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Moely Prairie @moelyprairie.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

“The sun was warm but the wind was chill”, Robert Frost once noted. These Common Milkweed pods emptied their seed onto the prairie months ago but their beautiful architecture remains a place for frost to cling to. #milkweed #frost #prairies

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Moely Prairie @moelyprairie.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

Native plants bring native butterflies. There are about 150 species of butterflies found in Wisconsin and these are just a few that we often spot on Moely Prairie. As restoration efforts continue, we continue to draw in more species. We often record our findings to the Wisconsin Butterflies website.

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Moely Prairie @moelyprairie.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

This wee mole hung around and allowed me to take their photo on the prairie the other day. They’re so adorable! A recent small mammal study done on the prairie showed a good population of Meadow Voles, but the more rare Prairie Vole was not recorded. With more restoration, perhaps that will change!

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Moely Prairie @moelyprairie.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

I don’t often step in front of the camera, but I want to share my new favorite tshirt from the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin. The NRF has provided Moely Prairie with many grant awards, including our kiosk and monies to begin our high school summer internship monitoring Monarchs. #nature

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Moely Prairie @moelyprairie.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

"A rose by any other name would smell as sweet". All of these rose species can be found growing on Moely Prairie. When shown side by side, you can really see some similarities in the flower structure. Can you name them? #nativeplants #prairies

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Moely Prairie @moelyprairie.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

Seven different citizen science initiatives take place on Moely Prairie every year. Monarch butterfly research, moth lighting, regular bumblebee and butterfly surveys, Kestrel and bluebird nest box monitoring, and a WI DNR trail cam. Stay tuned for updates throughout the year! #citizenscience

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Moely Prairie @moelyprairie.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

Moely Prairie has four Bluebird nest boxes strategically placed on the property and so many times they are occupied like this one last summer. Prairies offer many opportunities for nesting and certainly lots of native insects to raise their babies. #bluebirds @audubon.org

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Moely Prairie @moelyprairie.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

It happens less frequently after nearly eight years of restoration work, but a visiting prairie enthusiast recently discovered a new native plant species on the prairie! This beauty is Hudsonia tomentosa, otherwise known as Beach Heather. It's a fan of the dry sandy soil found on Moely Prairie.

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Moely Prairie @moelyprairie.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

These are just a few of the color variations of Blue-eyed grasses, Sisyrinchium albidum, you may encounter as you walk the Moely Prairie. Although this perennial plant has grass-like leaves, it is actually more closely related to the Iris. #nativeplants

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Moely Prairie @moelyprairie.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

With the generous support of a Sauk County Good Ideas Grant in conjunction with the Wisconsin Arts Board, we were able to produce these plant identification signs that are placed throughout the prairie along our walking trails. They were so well liked we're adding more this summer! #nativeplants

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Moely Prairie @moelyprairie.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

As we continue to remove honeysuckle and buckthorn, the native shrubs are really starting to stand out, especially in the low areas of the prairie. This is known as Bush Indigo, Amorpha fruticosa. It is a species of flowering plant in the legume family and is closely related to Leadplant.

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Moely Prairie @moelyprairie.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

“Think big and don’t listen to people who tell you it can’t be done. Life’s too short to think small.” —Tim Ferriss

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Moely Prairie @moelyprairie.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

“The beauty here is often subtle. It doesn’t knock you off your feet at a glance the way the snow-capped Colorado Rockies or the rugged coastline of the Pacific Northwest do. But it can be every bit as remarkable.” - Michael Forsberg, conservation photographer

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Moely Prairie @moelyprairie.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

This annual virtual conference brings together people of various prairie and savanna knowledge-levels. Whether you're just discovering prairies or are looking to deepen your skillset, TPE strives to provide opportunities for all to connect and learn. Sign up using the link below! #prairieenthusiasts

theprairieenthusiasts.org

Annual Conference | Prairie Enthusiasts

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Moely Prairie @moelyprairie.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

Controlled burns help clear the prairie of dead plant material, enrich the soil with nutrients, and allow fire-adapted plants like grasses and wildflowers to thrive. Without fire, woody shrubs and invasive species could take over, disrupting habitats and reducing the diversity of wildlife. #prairie

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Moely Prairie @moelyprairie.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

Killdeer often make their nests on the ground of Moely Prairie, blending perfectly with their surroundings! Their nests are simple scrapes in the dirt, often hidden in gravel or on rocky surfaces. Their eggs look just like stones, helping to keep them safe from predators! #killdeer #nativebirds

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Moely Prairie @moelyprairie.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

Moely Prairie goals: 1) Recover and maintain as much original prairie as possible 2) Provide habitat for grassland birds and other species native to prairie ecosystems 3) Improve habitat for insect populations including the threatened Monarch butterfly

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Moely Prairie @moelyprairie.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

Moely Prairie is open to the public for hiking, bird watching, photography, cross country skiing and snowshoeing. Bicycles, motorized vehicles, and plant removal are prohibited. The prairie is an especially sensitive ecosystem that shelters nesting grassland birds, so pets are prohibited year-round.

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Moely Prairie @moelyprairie.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

There are twenty native bumble bee species found in Wisconsin. Moely Prairie restoration is leading to increased numbers of native plant species that provide nectar and habitat for our declining bee and other pollinator populations, including the rare Rusty-patch bumblebee. #savethebees

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Moely Prairie @moelyprairie.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

Moely Prairie is home to a variety of pollinators. The diversity of native prairie plants, including five species of Milkweed, particularly benefit the Monarch population. Citizen science research conducted on the property provides meaningful data used to further understand the specie’s decline.

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Moely Prairie @moelyprairie.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

Because Moely Prairie was never plowed, it harbors over 200 species of native plants. Especially popular is a spectacular spring display of Prairie Smoke plants whose wispy seed heads are said to resemble a layer of fog or smoke in the morning sunlight.

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Moely Prairie @moelyprairie.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

This 23.5 acre parcel is a tiny survivor of the 14,000 acre Sauk Prairie. Barbara Moely, whose ancestors settled in Sauk Prairie after leaving Switzerland in the 1850’s, gave Moely Prairie protection through a conservation easement granted to The Prairie Enthusiasts organization.

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Moely Prairie @moelyprairie.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

Moely Prairie evokes the end of an ice age 12,000 years ago. Flood waters from Lake Merrimac washed gravel downstream, leaving behind a sandy plain. This outwash now makes up much of the land in our area. The soil is excellent for supporting native insects, animals, grasses and flowering plants.

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