Schaefer Prairie

Overview
Photos
Slideshows
Videos
Sightings


	About

	Ownership


	Links
	The Nature Conservancy

	Overview


	History


	Management
	About 5,000 seedlings have been planted in the southeast corner of the preserve to create a “showcase” area.

	Comments


	Location

	Maps


	Printable Map(s) with GPS coordinates


	Size
	160 acres

	Parking
	There is a parking lot at the southeast corner of the preserve. N44 43.073, W94 17.706


	Driving Directions
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					McLeod County
					Central Minnesota


	Activities

	Hiking Trails
	No maintained trails

	Hunting
	No hunting


	Ecology

	Ecological Classification
	Ecological Province			Prairie Parkland Province
	Ecological Section			North Central Glaciated Plains
	Ecological Subsection			Minnesota River Prairie
	Land Type Association			Gibbon Till Plain

	Native Plant Communities*
	Mesic Prairie (Southern) Sedge Meadow
	* Source: The Minnesota Biological Survey, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Division of Ecological Resources

	Natural Features


	Visitor Photos

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	MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos

	Parking


	Interpretive Signs


	The Nature Conservancy Sign


	Mesic Prairie (Southern)




	Sedge Meadow


	Buffalo Creek

Camera


	Slideshows

slideshow


	Visitor Videos

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	Other Videos


	Come Explore the Prairie With Me! - Schaefer Prairie and Ottawa Bluffs \| 2021 Adventures Adventures of an Aspiring Something or Other

	About May 27, 2021 Join Jonas and I on a trip to explore two prairie areas in Southern Minnesota, Schaefer Prairie and Ottawa Bluffs. Both are owned and managed by the Nature Conservancy. A vlog-style video complete with my inability to remember anything I've ever learned about prairie plant identification, a lengthy discussion of prescribed fire and fire ecology in grasslands, unexpected wetlands, and a deep awakening moment about EXACTLY how out of shape I am. Also... I will warn you that the camera work on this is not good. I can't see my display screen very well through my polarised sunglasses, and this combined with me walking over uneven ground means the camera spends a lot of time tilted funny and swooping around. Maybe skip the visual part of this if you get motion sick. Say hi on Instagram: https://instagram.com/leveninlied

Camcorder

Visitor Sightings

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MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings


Visits
8/18/2005		9/24/2013

Amphibians

Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Amphibians and Reptiles List

boreal chorus frog (Pseudacris maculata)

northern leopard frog (Rana pipiens)

Birds

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

Special Concern

American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos)

Franklin’s Gull (Leucophaeus pipixcan)

Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator)

Yellow Rail (Coturnicops noveboracensis)

eBird Field Checklist

American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)

Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)

Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus)

Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis)

Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)

Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)

Ring-necked Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)

Rock Pigeon (Columba livia)

Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)

Fungi and Lichens

Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Fungi List

Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Lichens List

Insects and Arachnids


Two insect and arachnid species with conservation status in Minnesota have been seen here:
Endangered	Poweshiek skipperling (Oarisma poweshiek)
Special Concern	regal fritillary (Speyeria idalia)

Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Insects List

Carolina grasshopper (Dissosteira carolina)

convergent lady beetle (Hippodamia convergens)

dog day cicada (Neotibicen canicularis)

goldenrod gall fly (Eurosta solidaginis)

goldenrod soldier beetle (Chauliognathus pennsylvanicus)

monarch (Danaus plexippus)

multicolored Asian lady beetle (Harmonia axyridis
f. succinea)

orange sulphur (Colias eurytheme)

pearl crescent (Phyciodes tharos)

viceroy (Limenitis archippus)

Mammals

plains pocket gopher (Geomys bursarius)

whitetail deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

Plants


Four plant species with conservation status in Minnesota are found here:
Threatened	Sullivant’s milkweed (Asclepias sullivantii)
Special Concern	broadleaf water milfoil (Myriophyllum heterophyllum) Hill’s thistle (Cirsium pumilum var. hillii) small white lady’s slipper (Cypripedium candidum)