Minnesota Seasons - Bluestem Prairie


	About

	Ownership


	Links
	The Nature Conservancy Bluestem Prairie Additions

	Overview


	History


	Management


	Comments


	Location

	Maps


	Printable Map(s) with GPS coordinates


	Size
	6,078 acres

	Parking
	North Parking (SNA) N46 51.313, W96 28.405 Southeast Parking (SNA) N46 49.984, W96 27.149


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					Clay County
					Northwest Minnesota


	Ecology

	Ecological Classification
	Ecological Province			Prairie Parkland Province
	Ecological Section			Red River Valley
	Ecological Subsection			Red River Prairie
	Land Type Association			Felton Lake Plain Barnesville Beach Complex

	Native Plant Communities*
	Agassiz Beach Ridge Complex Aspen - (Cordgrass) Woodland Dry Sand - Gravel Prairie (Northern) Green Ash - Bur Oak - Elm Forest Mesic Prairie (Northern) Prairie Mixed Cattail Marsh Seepage Meadow/Carr Wet Prairie (Northern) Wet Seepage Prairie (Northern) Willow - Dogwood Shrub Swamp
	* Source: The Minnesota Biological Survey, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Division of Ecological Resources

	Natural Features
	Northern tallgrass prairy

Most of Bluestem Prairie SNA and a small part of Buffalo River State Park are on this preserve.


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	MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos

	North Parking


	Southeast Parking


	Agassiz Beach Ridge Complex, Wet Year (2010)




	Agassiz Beach Ridge Complex, Dry Year (2012)

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	Other Videos


	Greater Prairie Chickens in greater Minnesota JBJEStudios

	About Uploaded on May 18, 2011 Male Prairie Chickens sparring and squawking early in the morning at the Nature Conservancy's Bluestem Prairie, 13 miles north of Barnesville, MN. May 7, 2011. Not seen in this video: Two Northern Harriers repeatedly attacked the birds, who scattered and got away.



	Interpreting the Landscape at Bluestem Prairie PondsintheSun

	About Uploaded on Dec 6, 2009 Bluestem Prairie is a conservation site just east of Moorhead, Minnesota.



	Prairie Chicken mating dance on lek at Bluestem Prairie near Dilworth, MN Duane McDowell

	About Published on Apr 23, 2013 Prairie Chicken mating dance on lek at Bluestem Prairie near Dilworth, MN

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Tem bird species with conservation status in Minnesota have been seen here:
Endangered	Henslow’s Sparrow (Centronyx henslowii) Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus)
Threatened	Wilson’s Phalarope (Phalaropus tricolor)
Special Concern	Franklin’s Gull (Leucophaeus pipixcan) Greater Prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus cupido) Lark Sparrow (Chondestes grammacus) Marbled Godwit (Limosa fedoa) Nelson’s Sparrow (Ammospiza nelsoni) Purple Martin (Progne subis) Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus)


Three insect and arachnid species with conservation status in Minnesota have been seen here:
Endangered	Dakota skipper (Hesperia dacotae) Poweshiek skipperling (Oarisma poweshiek)
Special Concern	regal fritillary (Argynnis idalia)

Two mammal species with conservation status in Minnesota have been seen here:

Special Concern

plains pocket mouse (Perognathus flavescens)


Ten plant species with conservation status in Minnesota are found here:
Endangered	winter bentgrass (Agrostis hyemalis)
Threatened	western prairie fringed orchid (Platanthera praeclara)
Special Concern	blanket flower (Gaillardia aristata) narrow-leaved water plantain (Alisma gramineum) nodding wild onion (Allium cernuum var. cernuum) northern singlespike sedge (Carex scirpoidea ssp. scirpoidea) plains reed grass (Calamagrostis montanensis) pleated gentian (Gentiana affinis) small white lady’s slipper (Cypripedium candidum) spikeoat (Avenula hookeri)