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Who Lived in Hixon Forest?
An old, sod-covered stone cellar with a partially collapsed arched roof is the most prominent sign of human habitation by early European...
pwilson
Mar 8, 20224 min read


I'll Take My Prairie "Well Done"!
As March draws near and the seasons (hopefully) change, spring burn season lurks right around the corner. This is the time of year for...
jonathanrigden
Mar 1, 20222 min read


The Olympics of Trees: Searching for the Largest and the Oldest Trees
While you may have been following the recent winter Olympics that happens every 4 years, for some who like to chase other records the...
jonathanrigden
Feb 20, 20224 min read


Calling All Volunteers
As we begin the new year, Friends of the Blufflands looks forward to continuing to make progress on the remnant prairies and other...
jonathanrigden
Feb 3, 20222 min read


Brighten Up Your Winter Hikes
Winter is a season when the prairies and the forests go dormant. Insects are mostly gone, many birds have migrated, and reptiles and...
jonathanrigden
Jan 15, 20226 min read


Burning Brush Piles
Every year when there is snow on the ground, we burn brush piles that were made earlier in the year. These piles are made up primarily of...
jonathanrigden
Jan 5, 20221 min read


Ending the Year With Silver and Gold
As 2021 comes to a close, let's wrap up the last math puzzle. Recall the blog posting "Tree Puzzle Solved" from November 11th where a...
jonathanrigden
Dec 28, 20213 min read


2021: A Year in Review or What Have You Done For Us Lately?
We are nearing the end of another year which is a nice time to look back and reflect on some of the accomplishments of Friends of the...
jonathanrigden
Dec 22, 20213 min read


Seeding the Prairies
Over the past year or two, both Zoerb and Lookout Prairies in Hixon Forest have been undergoing restoration and have been expanded...
jonathanrigden
Dec 1, 20214 min read


Found and Lost: A Rusty Patched Bumblebee Nest- by Mike O’Brien
On a beautiful morning this past June I decided to take a hike in the Dobson Blufflands Tract. My walk took a turn on a rarely used trail...
jonathanrigden
Nov 22, 20213 min read


Tree Puzzle Solved!
Within less than a day, Jim Rogala solved the Tree puzzle. Congratulations Jim! He will get the maple syrup! He describes his methods...
jonathanrigden
Nov 11, 20212 min read


Those Puzzling Trees
OK all you math whizzes out there, here's your second puzzle. Remember the first one? It was in a previous blog post where two sticks...
jonathanrigden
Nov 10, 20212 min read


The Golden Leaves of Fall
The colors of fall are a spectacular display that many look forward to each year. Some drive many miles to see the best of these...
jonathanrigden
Oct 27, 20214 min read


Hixon Prairie May Have Been a Better Name Than Hixon Forest by Mike O'Brien
Around 1912 the Hixons were able to purchase Grandad Bluff and some surrounding properties to prevent the bluff from being further...
jonathanrigden
Oct 14, 20213 min read


Legumes: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Legumes are in the family Fabaceae which includes beans and peas. Many are known for being able to "fix" nitrogen, that is capture it...
jonathanrigden
Oct 4, 20214 min read


The Ladies Have It!
Everyone loves orchids. They are not very common and are widely appreciated for their delicate beauty. One orchid, the Great Plains...
jonathanrigden
Sep 21, 20213 min read


The Hills Are Alive…With Snails? by Mike O’Brien
The remnant prairies that we have in the La Crosse area, and the Driftless Area in general, are blessed with a wide variety of native...
jonathanrigden
Sep 13, 20212 min read


Weevils to the Rescue!
On August 5, 2021, root weevils were released by Friends of the Blufflands on the Mathy property in the blufflands near La Crosse. This...
jonathanrigden
Sep 4, 20213 min read


Golden Moments Redux
So, it has been about 2 months since the Golden Moments puzzle with the two sticks was posted. Pat Wilson solved the puzzle nicely in the...
jonathanrigden
Aug 26, 20211 min read


The Gall of Those Ants!
In 2010 a variety of oaks and some shag bark hickory trees were planted in an old corn field located on the corner F and FA. This is up...
jonathanrigden
Aug 14, 20213 min read
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