Restoration work is gaining momentum at Wandering Rock State Natural Area near Nelson, where Conservancy staff, volunteers, and partners are helping one of the Driftless Area’s newest protected landscapes grow healthier and more resilient. This 162-acre preserve, perched above the Mississippi River, protects rare bluff prairies, oak woodland, cliffs, and forest habitat that support wildlife ranging from migratory birds and red-headed woodpeckers to deer, ruffed grouse, and wild turkey. As part of a broader restoration effort spanning more than 27,000 acres of Conservancy-protected lands, Wandering Rock is becoming an important refuge for both wildlife and people seeking connection with nature.
This spring, restoration efforts received a tremendous boost through a National Wild Turkey Federation habitat grant and the donated work of Dairyland Power Cooperative crews. With a generous in-kind donation of equipment and manpower, Dairyland sent a brush-mowing crew which focused on clearing a five-acre opening along the preserve’s western boundary where invasive Siberian elm, silver poplar, multiflora rose, and other aggressive brush species were overtaking native habitat. (See main photo at top of article by Karen Solverson)
The donated labor helped complete work that otherwise would have taken Conservancy staff weeks by hand, creating opportunities for future wildlife shrub and tree plantings and preparing the site for additional habitat restoration. Dairyland has long been a supporter of the Conservancy’s work, including assisting with habitat preservation efforts, pollinator habitat development, and educational programming across nine counties.
At the same time, Conservancy crews and volunteers have been working along the blufftop removing cedars, invasive shrubs, and competing trees to give native species like white oak, bur oak, shagbark hickory, and bitternut hickory a renewed chance to thrive. Timber stand improvement efforts have included removing species such as basswood that had crowded the canopy and shaded desirable trees in the mid- and understory. Along the ridgetop, staff discovered native plants including hoary puccoon, bastard toadflax, and horse gentian—species that hint at a much more open landscape in the past.
Historically, these blufftops likely supported prairie grasses and wildflowers beneath mature oaks and shagbark hickories, but years without active management or fire allowed cedar, elm, maple, basswood, and ironwood to gradually take over. Restoring these oak openings and woodlands not only revives a rare natural community, but also strengthens habitat for deer, wild turkey, and many other wildlife species that depend on acorns, nuts, and healthy woodland structure.
The work at Wandering Rock is only beginning. Upcoming restoration plans include invasive species control, brush clearing, timber stand improvement, cedar removal, trail and firebreak construction, and preparation for prescribed fire—an important tool for restoring oak woodland and prairie ecosystems that depend on periodic disturbance to remain healthy.
“We are incredibly grateful to Dairyland Power, the National Wild Turkey Federation, our volunteers, and every donor whose generosity keeps this work moving forward,” shared Executive Director Carol Abrahamzon. “Together, we are restoring habitat, supporting wildlife, and ensuring places like Wandering Rock remain healthy and inspiring for generations to come.”