Richard M. & Mathilde Rice Elliott SNA

 

 

     
 
About
 
 

Ownership

 
 

The Nature Conservancy logo

 
     
 

Links

 
 

Minnesota DNR

The Nature Conservancy

 
     
 

Overview

 
 

 

 
     
 

History

 
 

In 1972 The Nature Conservancy (TNC) acquired a 280-acre parcel of land in Wilkin County. The site was named in honor of Richard M. Elliott, who died in 1969. Dr. Elliott was the departmental chair of the University of Minnesota Psychology Department from 1919 until 1951. Adjacent parcels were added to the site in 1984, 1986, and 1988. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources designated it a scientific and natural area on 6/15/2007.

 
     
 

Management

 
 

 

 
     
 

Comments

 
 

 

 
     
 
Location
 
 

Maps

 
 

 

 
         
 

Printable Map(s) with GPS coordinates

 
 

Complete

     
  Printable map      
         
 

North Unit

 

South Unit

 
  Printable map   Printable map  
         
 

Size

 
 

497 acres

North Section: 342.65

South Section: 154.6 acres

 
         
 

Parking

 
 

There is a field road on the south side of County Road 188 (130th St.) at the northwest corner of the south section. Park on the field road.

N46 35.234, W96 21.933

 
         
 

Driving Directions

  Area and County  
 

Get driving directions from Google Maps to this destination from any address, and send those directions to your phone.

   
          Wilkin County  
          Northwest Minnesota  
     
 
Activities
 
 

Hiking Trails

 
 

No maintained trails

 
     
 

Hunting

 
 

No hunting

 
     
 
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 Prairie (Northern)

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

Natural Features

     
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What’s In a Name?

The Nature Conservancy (TNC) Web page for this site uses the name Richard M. & Mathilde Rice Elliott Prairie, Elliott spelled with two “t”s. The Minnesota DNR’s Web page uses the name Richard M. & Mathilde Rice Elliot SNA, dropping the word “Prairie” and with just a single “t” in the last name. The wood routed sign on the site reads “Richard M. and Mathilde Rice Elliott State Natural Area.”

The TNC GIS database refers to the site as “Western Prairie North.” The Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas (Bell Herbarium) also refers to the site as ”Western Prairie North.”

 

 

 

Waterproof footwear recommended

The surface of this wet prairie is uneven. There are innumerable small depressions with standing water ankle deep or deeper. They are partially or completely hidden from view by grasses and forbs. Attempts to avoid them will be met with limited success. Waterproof footwear is highly recommended.

 

 

 

 

           
 
Visitor Photos
 
           
 

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MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos
 
 

North Unit

 
 

Wood Routed Sign

 
    Richard M. & Mathilde Rice Elliot SNA      
           
 

South Unit

 
 

Parking

 
    Richard M. & Mathilde Rice Elliot SNA   Richard M. & Mathilde Rice Elliot SNA  
           
    Richard M. & Mathilde Rice Elliot SNA      
           
 

Wet Prairie (Northern)

 
    Richard M. & Mathilde Rice Elliot SNA   Richard M. & Mathilde Rice Elliot SNA  
           
    Richard M. & Mathilde Rice Elliot SNA   Richard M. & Mathilde Rice Elliot SNA  
           
 

Elevated View from Southwest Corner

 
    Richard M. & Mathilde Rice Elliot SNA  
           
    Richard M. & Mathilde Rice Elliot SNA      

 

Camera

     
 
Slideshows
 
 
     
     

 

slideshow

       
 
Visitor Videos
 
       
 

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Camcorder

           
 
Visitor Sightings
 
           
 

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MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings
 
 

Visits

8/18/2010

  8/6/2012            
 
 

All of the observations below were made on the South Unit of the SNA.

 
 

Birds

 
 

Five bird species with conservation status in Minnesota have been seen here:

Threatened

Wilson’s Phalarope (Phalaropus tricolor)

Special Concern

Greater Prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus cupido)

Marbled Godwit (Limosa fedoa)

Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus)

Yellow Rail (Coturnicops noveboracensis)

 
 

Minnesota DNR Bird checklist

eBird Field Checklist

 
 

Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)

Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius)

Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)

  Barn Swallow  
 

Insects and Arachnids

 
 

One insect and arachnid species with conservation status in Minnesota has been seen here:

Special Concern

regal fritillary (Argynnis idalia)

 
 

band-winged meadowhawk (Sympetrum semicinctum)

cabbage white (Pieris rapae)

Carolina grasshopper (Dissosteira carolina)

common green darner (Anax junius)

common wood nymph (Cercyonis pegala)

dog day cicada (Neotibicen canicularis)

goldenrod gall fly (Eurosta solidaginis)

goldenrod soldier beetle (Chauliognathus pennsylvanicus)

great spangled fritillary (Argynnis cybele)

meadow fritillary (Boloria bellona)

monarch (Danaus plexippus)

mourning cloak (Nymphalis antiopa)

orange sulphur (Colias eurytheme)

painted lady (Vanessa cardui)

red admiral (Vanessa atalanta)

silver-bordered fritillary (Boloria selene)

western honey bee (Apis mellifera)

 

band-winged meadowhawk

common wood nymph

goldenrod soldier beetle

mourning cloak

 
 

Mammals

 
 

One mammal species with conservation status in Minnesota has been seen here:

Special Concern

prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster)

 
 

plains pocket gopher (Geomys bursarius)

whitetail deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

  whitetail deer  
 

Plants

 
 

Two plant species with conservation status in Minnesota are found here:

Special Concern

pleated gentian (Gentiana affinis)

small white lady’s slipper (Cypripedium candidum)

 
 

Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas and Minnesota Biological Survey Vegetation Releves Plant List

 
 

Plants frequently found in:

Mesic Prairie (Northern) UPn23b

Wet Prairie (Northern) WPn53c

     
 

 

American plum (Prunus americana)

American stinging nettle (Urtica gracilis ssp. gracilis)

asparagus (Asparagus officinalis)

big bluestem (Andropogon gerardi)

black medick (Medicago lupulina)

bottle gentian (Gentiana andrewsii)

broad-leaved cattail (Typha latifolia)

bull thistle (Cirsium vulgare)

Canada anemone (Anemonastrum canadense)

Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense)

common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale ssp. officinale)

common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

common plantain (Plantago major)

common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia)

common sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale)

common strawberry (Fragaria virginiana)

curly dock (Rumex crispus)

flat-topped aster (Doellingeria umbellata)

Flodman’s thistle (Cirsium flodmanii)

foxtail barley (Hordeum jubatum ssp. jubatum)

giant goldenrod (Solidago gigantea)

golden alexanders (Zizia aurea)

grass-leaved goldenrod (Euthamia graminifolia)

heart-leaved golden alexanders (Zizia aptera)

heart-leaved willow (Salix eriocephala)

hedge bindweed (Calystegia sepium)

Indian hemp (Apocynum cannabinum)

Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans)

Maximilian’s sunflower (Helianthus maximiliani)

narrow-leaved cattail (Typha angustifolia)

narrow-leaved purple coneflower (Echinacea angustifolia)

New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae)

northern plains blazing star (Liatris ligulistylis)

perennial sow thistle (Sonchus arvensis)

plumeless thistle (Carduus acanthoides ssp. acanthoides)

prairie blazing star (Liatris pycnostachya var. pycnostachya)

prairie cordgrass (Sporobolus michauxianus)

prairie rose (Rosa arkansana)

purple meadow-rue (Thalictrum dasycarpum)

quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides)

red osier dogwood (Cornus sericea ssp. sericea)

reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea)

Riddell’s goldenrod (Solidago riddellii)

rough bugleweed (Lycopus asper)

sawtooth sunflower (Helianthus grosseserratus)

scouring rush horsetail (Equisetum hyemale ssp. affine)

seaside arrowgrass (Triglochin maritima)

showy milkweed (Asclepias speciosa)

silverweed (Argentina anserina ssp. anserina)

spotted Joe Pye weed (Eutrochium maculatum)

swamp betony (Pedicularis lanceolata)

swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata ssp. incarnata)

swamp thistle (Cirsium muticum)

Virginia mountain mint (Pycnanthemum virginianum)

water smartweed (Persicaria amphibia)

western ragweed (Ambrosia psilostachya)

white heath aster (Symphyotrichum ericoides var. ericoides)

white prairie aster (Symphyotrichum falcatum)

white sage (Artemisia ludoviciana ssp. ludoviciana)

white sweet clover (Melilotus albus)

wild licorice (Glycyrrhiza lepidota)

wild mint (Mentha arvensis)

wild parsnip (Pastinaca sativa)

wolfberry (Symphoricarpos occidentalis)

yellow foxtail (Setaria pumila ssp. pumila)

yellow marsh marigold (Caltha palustris var. palustris)

 

Ambrosia artemisiifolia (common ragweed)

Ambrosia psilostachya (western ragweed)

Andropogon gerardi (big bluestem)

Anemonastrum canadense (Canada anemone)

Apocynum cannabinum (Indian hemp)

Argentina anserina ssp. anserina (silverweed)

Artemisia ludoviciana ssp. ludoviciana (white sage)

Asclepias incarnata ssp. incarnata (swamp milkweed)

Asclepias speciosa (showy milkweed)

Asclepias syriaca (common milkweed)

Asparagus officinalis (asparagus)

Caltha palustris var. palustris (yellow marsh marigold)

Calystegia sepium (hedge bindweed)

Carduus acanthoides (plumeless thistle)

Cirsium arvense (Canada thistle)

Cirsium flodmanii (Flodman’s thistle)

Cirsium muticum (swamp thistle)

Cirsium vulgare (bull thistle)

Cornus sericea ssp. sericea (red osier dogwood)

Doellingeria umbellata (flat-topped aster)

Echinacea angustifolia (narrow-leaved purple coneflower)

Equisetum hyemale ssp. affine (scouring rush horsetail)

Euthamia graminifolia (grass-leaved goldenrod)

Eutrochium maculatum (spotted Joe Pye weed)

Fragaria virginiana (common strawberry)

Gentiana andrewsii (bottle gentian)

Glycyrrhiza lepidota (wild licorice)

Helenium autumnale (common sneezeweed)

Helianthus grosseserratus (sawtooth sunflower)

Helianthus maximiliani (Maximilian’s sunflower)

Hordeum jubatum ssp. jubatum (foxtail barley)

Liatris ligulistylis (northern plains blazing star)

Liatris pycnostachya var. pycnostachya (prairie blazing star)

Lycopus asper (rough bugleweed)

Medicago lupulina (black medick)

Melilotus albus (white sweet clover)

Mentha arvensis (wild mint)

Solidago riddellii (Riddell’s goldenrod)

Pastinaca sativa (wild parsnip)

Pedicularis lanceolata (swamp betony)

Persicaria amphibia (water smartweed)

Phalaris arundinacea (reed canary grass)

Plantago major (common plantain)

Populus tremuloides (quaking aspen)

Prunus americana (American plum)

Pycnanthemum virginianum (Virginia mountain mint)

Rosa arkansana (prairie rose)

Rumex crispus (curly dock)

Salix eriocephala (heart-leaved willow)

Setaria pumila ssp. pumila (yellow foxtail)

Solidago gigantea (giant goldenrod)

Sonchus arvensis (perennial sow thistle)

Sorghastrum nutans (Indiangrass)

Sporobolus michauxianus (prairie cordgrass)

Symphoricarpos occidentalis (wolfberry)

Symphyotrichum ericoides var. ericoides (white heath aster)

Symphyotrichum falcatum (white prairie aster)

Symphyotrichum novae-angliae (New England aster)

Taraxacum officinale ssp. officinale (common dandelion)

Thalictrum dasycarpum (purple meadow-rue)

Triglochin maritima (seaside arrowgrass)

Typha angustifolia (narrow-leaved cattail)

Typha latifolia (broad-leaved cattail)

Urtica gracilis ssp. gracilis (American stinging nettle)

Zizia aptera (heart-leaved golden alexanders)

Zizia aurea (golden alexanders)

 

American plum

bottle gentian

Canada anemone

common sneezeweed

perennial sow thistle

golden alexanders

heart-leaved golden alexanders

Maximilian’s sunflower

New England aster

prairie rose

rough bugleweed

showy milkweed

swamp betony

swamp milkweed

Virginia mountain mint

wild parsnip

yellow marsh marigold

 

 

 

Binoculars


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