Badger Tour Informs Area Citizens

A group of 35 area citizens joined the Sauk Prairie Conservation Alliance for a half-day tour of the former Badger Army Ammunition Plant near Sauk City on Saturday October 8th. The tour began with a presentation on the history of Badger by Verlyn Mueller at the Badger History Group Museum at the entrance to the former Plant.

Tour leaders Mike Mossman (retired DNR ornithologist and founder of Badger History Group) and Randy Poelma (land manager, Ho-Chunk Nation) described and showed active land management on  the 1500 acres of Ho-Chunk land (normally off-limits to the public), explaining how brush control and prescribed fire are tools used to help restore the native grasslands.

The group visited the “reservoirs” at the northern end of Badger, adjoining Devils Lake State Park, to observe the unusual and rare “neonate” salamanders that have survived in one of the massive reservoirs.  Mike Mossman has been studying these salamanders for many years.

The tour ended by visiting the “Hillside Prairie” at the south end of the Badger Lands.  The Alliance has spent 15 years helping restore this remnant prairie and oak savanna.   Alison Duff provided background on the restoration efforts.

The tour was part of the series, “We Are Sauk Prairie” supported with a grant from Alliant Energy Foundation.  For more information on our series, visit here.