Blazing Star Prairie Addition Preserve

South Unit

 

 

     
 
About
 
 

Ownership

 
 

The Nature Conservancy logo

 
     
 

Links

 
 

Blazing Star Prairie Addition Preserve, North Unit

The Nature Conservancy

 
     
 

Overview

 
 

 

 
     
 

History

 
 

In 2012 The Nature Conservancy (TNC) acquired through their Prairie Recovery Program a 320-acre tract in Clay County. The tract is adjacent to the Blazing Star Prairie, a unit of Felton Prairie Scientific and Natural Area that is owned by TNC. They designated the new tract Blazing Star Prairie Addition Preserve Preserve. In 2016 TNC acquired a nearby 344.38-acre tract and this became the North Unit of Blazing Star Prairie Addition Preserve Preserve. In 2017 TNC acquired 423 acres in three additional tracts, all adjacent to the North Unit.

 
     
 

Management

 
 

Prior to the acquisition of the South Unit, small portions of the site were grazed, farmed, or hayed. The remaining 245 acres were set aside under the Conservation Reserve Program. Since acquiring the site, The Nature Conservancy has removed trees from the northwest corner, removed a shelterbelt along the road on the north boundary, and installed all new perimeter fencing. The site was grazed in 2013 and in 2016 to 2019 and will be rested in 2020. Prescribed burns were conducted in 2013 and 2017.

 
     
 

Comments

 
 

 

 
     
 
Location
 
 

Maps

 
 

 

 
         
 

Printable Map(s) with GPS coordinates

 
 

Complete

  South Unit  
  Printable map   Printable map  
         
 

Size

 
 

320 acres

 
         
 

Parking

 
 

N47 4.614, W96 24.420

 
         
 

Driving Directions

  Area and County  
 

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          Clay County  
          Northwest Minnesota  
     
 
Activities
 
 

Hiking Trails

 
 

No maintained trails

 
     
 

Hunting

 
 

All hunting and trapping. See Hunting and Trapping Regulations (MN DNR) for details.

 
     
 
Ecology
 
 

Ecological Classification

  Ecological Classification  
  Ecological Province    

Prairie Parkland Province

   
  Ecological Section    

Red River Valley

   
  Ecological Subsection    

Red River Prairie

   
  Land Type Association    

Barnesville Beach Complex

   
             
 

Native Plant Communities*

   
 

Mesic Prairie (Northern)

Prairie Wetland Complex

Wet Seepage Prairie (Northern)

   
  * Source: The Minnesota Biological Survey, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Division of Ecological Resources      
         
 

Natural Features

     
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

           
 
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings
 
 

Visits

8/14/2019                
 
 

Birds

 
 

One bird species with conservation status in Minnesota has been seen on at least one of the units of this preserve:

Special Concern

Greater Prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus cupido)

 
         
 

Insects and Arachnids

 
 

band-winged meadowhawk (Sympetrum semicinctum)

cabbage white (Pieris rapae)

dog day cicada (Neotibicen canicularis)

dogbane saucrobotys moth (Saucrobotys futilalis)

goldenrod bunch gall midge (Rhopalomyia solidaginis)

monarch (Danaus plexippus)

orange sulphur (Colias eurytheme)

 

dogbane saucrobotys moth

orange sulphur

 
 

Mammals

 
  plains pocket gopher (Geomys bursarius)   plains pocket gopher  
 

Plants

 
 

Plants frequently found in:

Mesic Prairie (Northern) UPn23b

Wet Seepage Prairie (Northern) WPn53a

     
 

 

absinthe wormwood (Artemisia absinthium)

alfalfa (Medicago sativa ssp. sativa)

bearded wheatgrass (Elymus trachycaulus ssp. subsecundus)

big bluestem (Andropogon gerardi)

bird’s-foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus var. corniculatus)

black medick (Medicago lupulina)

blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis)

Canada bluegrass (Poa compressa)

Canadian horseweed (Erigeron canadensis)

Canadian milkvetch (Astragalus canadensis var. canadensis)

candle anemone (Anemone cylindrica)

clammy groundcherry (Physalis heterophylla)

common lambsquarters (Chenopodium album)

common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia)

common smooth blue aster (Symphyotrichum laeve var. laeve)

common yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

crown vetch (Securigera varia)

curly dock (Rumex crispus)

curly-cup gumweed (Grindelia squarrosa)

Flodman’s thistle (Cirsium flodmanii)

gray goldenrod (Solidago nemoralis)

green foxtail (Setaria viridis var. viridis)

grooved yellow flax (Linum sulcatum var. sulcatum)

hairy false goldenaster (Heterotheca villosa)

harebell (Campanula rotundifolia)

hoary alyssum (Berteroa incana)

Indian hemp (Apocynum cannabinum)

Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans)

Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis ssp. pratensis)

leadplant (Amorpha canescens)

Leiberg’s panic grass (Dichanthelium leibergii)

little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)

long-headed coneflower (Ratibida columnifera)

mountain blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium montanum var. montanum)

narrow-leaved meadowsweet (Spiraea alba var. alba)

narrow-leaved purple coneflower (Echinacea angustifolia)

pale agoseris (Agoseris glauca var. glauca)

palespike lobelia (Lobelia spicata)

panicled aster (Symphyotrichum lanceolatum)

plumeless thistle (Carduus acanthoides ssp. acanthoides)

porcupine grass (Hesperostipa spartea)

prairie cordgrass (Sporobolus michauxianus)

prairie fleabane (Erigeron strigosus)

prairie onion (Allium stellatum)

prairie peppergrass (Lepidium densiflorum)

prairie rose (Rosa arkansana)

purple lovegrass (Eragrostis spectabilis)

purple prairie clover (Dalea purpurea var. purpurea)

red clover (Trifolium pratense)

rough barnyard grass (Echinochloa muricata)

sand cherry (Prunus pumila)

sand dropseed (Sporobolus cryptandrus)

shorthair goldenrod (Solidago altissima var. gilvocanescens)

showy goldenrod species complex (Solidago speciosa complex)

showy milkweed (Asclepias speciosa)

sideoats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula var. curtipendula)

silverleaf scurfpea (Pediomelum argophyllum)

smooth brome (Bromus inermis)

spotted lady’s thumb (Persicaria maculosa)

stiff goldenrod (Solidago rigida ssp. rigida)

stiff sunflower (Helianthus pauciflorus)

summer cypress (Bassia scoparia)

switch grass (Panicum virgatum var. virgatum)

toothed evening primrose (Oenothera serrulata)

Virginia groundcherry (Physalis virginiana var. virginiana)

western ragweed (Ambrosia psilostachya)

white campion (Silene latifolia ssp. alba)

white clover (Trifolium repens ssp. repens)

white heath aster (Symphyotrichum ericoides var. ericoides)

white prairie clover (Dalea candida var. candida)

white sage (Artemisia ludoviciana ssp. ludoviciana)

white sweet clover (Melilotus albus)

witch grass (Panicum capillare)

wolfberry (Symphoricarpos occidentalis)

yellow foxtail (Setaria pumila ssp. pumila)

yellow sweet clover (Melilotus officinalis)

 

Achillea millefolium (common yarrow)

Agoseris glauca var. glauca (pale agoseris)

Allium stellatum (prairie onion)

Ambrosia artemisiifolia (common ragweed)

Ambrosia psilostachya (western ragweed)

Amorpha canescens (leadplant)

Andropogon gerardi (big bluestem)

Anemone cylindrica (candle anemone)

Apocynum cannabinum (Indian hemp)

Artemisia absinthium (absinthe wormwood)

Artemisia ludoviciana ssp. ludoviciana (white sage)

Asclepias speciosa (showy milkweed)

Asclepias syriaca (common milkweed)

Astragalus canadensis var. canadensis (Canadian milkvetch)

Bassia scoparia (summer cypress)

Berteroa incana (hoary alyssum)

Bouteloua curtipendula var. curtipendula (sideoats grama)

Bouteloua gracilis (blue grama)

Bromus inermis (smooth brome)

Campanula rotundifolia (harebell)

Carduus acanthoides (plumeless thistle)

Chenopodium album (common lambsquarters)

Cirsium flodmanii (Flodman’s thistle)

Dalea candida var. candida (white prairie clover)

Dalea purpurea var. purpurea (purple prairie clover)

Dichanthelium leibergii (Leiberg’s panic grass)

Echinacea angustifolia (narrow-leaved purple coneflower)

Echinochloa muricata (rough barnyard grass)

Elymus trachycaulus ssp. subsecundus (bearded wheatgrass)

Eragrostis spectabilis (purple lovegrass)

Erigeron canadensis (Canadian horseweed)

Erigeron strigosus (prairie fleabane)

Grindelia squarrosa (curly-cup gumweed)

Helianthus pauciflorus (stiff sunflower)

Hesperostipa spartea (porcupine grass)

Heterotheca villosa (hairy false goldenaster)

Lepidium densiflorum (prairie peppergrass)

Linum sulcatum var. sulcatum (grooved yellow flax)

Lobelia spicata (palespike lobelia)

Lotus corniculatus var. corniculatus (bird’s-foot trefoil)

Medicago lupulina (black medick)

Medicago sativa ssp. sativa (alfalfa)

Melilotus albus (white sweet clover)

Melilotus officinalis (yellow sweet clover)

Oenothera serrulata (toothed evening primrose)

Panicum capillare (witch grass)

Panicum virgatum var. virgatum (switch grass)

Pediomelum argophyllum (silverleaf scurfpea)

Persicaria maculosa (spotted lady’s thumb)

Physalis heterophylla (clammy groundcherry)

Physalis virginiana var. virginiana (Virginia groundcherry)

Poa compressa (Canada bluegrass)

Poa pratensis ssp. pratensis (Kentucky bluegrass)

Prunus pumila (sand cherry)

Ratibida columnifera (long-headed coneflower)

Rosa arkansana (prairie rose)

Rumex crispus (curly dock)

Schizachyrium scoparium (little bluestem)

Securigera varia (crown vetch)

Setaria pumila ssp. pumila (yellow foxtail)

Setaria viridis var. viridis (green foxtail)

Silene latifolia ssp. alba (white campion)

Sisyrinchium montanum var. montanum (mountain blue-eyed grass)

Solidago altissima var. gilvocanescens (shorthair goldenrod)

Solidago nemoralis (gray goldenrod)

Solidago rigida ssp. rigida (stiff goldenrod)

Solidago speciosa complex (showy goldenrod species complex)

Sorghastrum nutans (Indiangrass)

Spiraea alba var. alba (narrow-leaved meadowsweet)

Sporobolus cryptandrus (sand dropseed)

Sporobolus michauxianus (prairie cordgrass)

Symphoricarpos occidentalis (wolfberry)

Symphyotrichum ericoides var. ericoides (white heath aster)

Symphyotrichum laeve var. laeve (common smooth blue aster)

Symphyotrichum lanceolatum (panicled aster)

Trifolium pratense (red clover)

Trifolium repens ssp. repens (white clover)

 

alfalfa

bird’s-foot trefoil

Canadian milkvetch

clammy groundcherry

common yarrow

crown vetch

Flodman’s thistle

hairy false goldenaster

leadplant

long-headed coneflower

pale agoseris

palespike lobelia (var. spicata)

prairie onion

prairie rose

purple prairie clover

showy milkweed

spotted touch-me-not

toothed evening primrose

Virginia groundcherry

white prairie clover

yellow foxtail

 

 

 

Binoculars

 

Created: 11/14/2017

Last Updated:

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