The largest remnant of the former 14,000-acre Sauk Prairie now features an interpretive kiosk at its Fullerton Drive entrance in Prairie du Sac, adjacent to the Westwynde neighborhood.
The kiosk welcomes visitors to Moely Prairie in Ho-Chunk, Spanish and English, and was made possible through a sizable grant from the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin’s C.D. Besadny Conservation Fund. Longtime Prairie Enthusiasts member Ron Endres also made a generous contribution. All labor was donated by volunteers.
Text highlighting Moely Prairie’s history, cultural significance and overall importance of prairie ecosystems is interspersed with more than two dozen photographs — most taken on site by Sauk City resident Amy Chamberlin — of the native plant and animal species inhabiting Moely’s 23.5 acres. Thanks to Alpha Graphics of Middleton, the overall look of the two panels is striking and inviting.
In their grant application, land managers stressed the uniqueness of Moely Prairie, which is now a conservation “island” surrounded by human development. Three Sauk Prairie area schools are located within two miles of the remnant, and Moely Prairie is already used frequently as an environmental education and field science resource. With this in mind, the management team made the kiosk comprehensive enough to serve as a substitute tour guide when a volunteer cannot be present to interpret Moely’s many wonders for students.
Moely Prairie is owned by Barbara Moely, who holds a perpetual conservation easement on the property. Ms. Moely has entrusted restoration and management of the prairie to The Prairie Enthusiasts, a private organization committed to the protection and management of native prairie and savanna of the Upper Midwest.
Photo by Amy Chamberlin