Our spring begins with major controlled burns. Once burns are finished, we begin hand-planting seed in some of the burned areas. While hand planting, we keep an eye out for what is growing and flowering. We also enjoy bird watching, especially in our wetlands. Spring is one of the busiest but also greatest times of the year at Pleasant Valley Conservancy.

Our spring weather is nothing if not unpredictable. This spring we had unusually cool weather from mid-March through mid-April, which greatly delayed development of flowers. It also slowed our controlled burn activities. In previous years, we had begun controlled burns around mid-March, but this year burns did not get started until the beginning of April. However, Sunday April 9 and Monday April 10 provided fantastic burn weather, especially for our savannas. Working with numerous volunteers on Sunday, and very intensively with a small but experienced paid crew on Monday, we were able to burn 40 acres, including all of the savanna areas on our spring burn plan. We also had good burns in our three major planted prairies. The map below shows the areas burned. (See a few selected photos below the map.)

As soon as our burns were finished, we began planting savannas and prairies. Almost all seed planted had been collected in the fall of 2005 and stored in the cold through the winter. We made two separate seed mixes, a dry-mesic seed mix for the more open areas, and a savanna mix for the more closed areas. Areas planted (see map above) included parts of Units 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, and 18. These areas had been planted in earlier years, but needed further help. Since they had all burned so well, the ground was fairly open, insuring that the seeds reached the bare soil. These areas were hand-planted.

Spring flowers

We have had a spectacular display of bird's foot violets (Viola pedata) this year on Kathie's Prairie (Unit 1). This prairie remnant has always had lots of bird's foot violets, but this year seems especially nice. No connection, probably, but this is the first year since 2000 that this prairie has not been burned.

Two other interesting plants that we have not seen before are prairie willow (Salix humilis) and sand cherry (Prunus pumila). These two small shrubs are top-killed by burns and are only seen flowering when there is no burn. (In burn years they grow but do not make flowers.)

Wood betony (Pedicularis canadensis) (photo to right) is an interesting species that has not been especially common at Pleasant Valley Conservancy. This year for the first time we have found this plant growing and flowering adjacent to Tom's Prairie, another prairie remnant. Although wood betony has been present elsewhere at the Conservancy, this is the first year that we have found it growing in one of our remnants.

The growth habit of wood betony involves a mild parasitism of other prairie species. This plant can grow either free-living or as a parasite of the roots of other plants, a condition called hemiparasitism. Wood betony is what ecologists call a "keystone" species, one which has a much greater effect on the ecosystem than its abundance would indicate. By parasitizing other prairie plants, wood betony keeps them in check and makes possible the development of other, possibly rarer, species.

This has been an outstanding year for shooting stars (Dodecatheon meadii), especially in our savannas. These were not planted but were part of the remnant flora, and have really thrived under restoration. Shooting stars have been especially colorful in the White Oak Savanna (Unit 12A), where we had an extensive brush control program this past winter. It is gratifying to see all the work involved paying off!

Honeysuckle removal in the savannas has been particularly rewarding. Shooting stars seem to be able to remain alive in a very reduced state under honeysuckles and when these plants are removed, the shooting stars rebound (see photo here).