Buena Vista Quarry State Natural Area

Buena Vista Quarry Prairie is located within the Buena Vista Marsh Wildlife Area, formerly a sedge meadow and tamarack swamp. It contains one of the least disturbed tracts within the Wildlife Area and harbors the state-threatened Greater Prairie-chicken.

In the southeastern portion of the Prairie is an oak knoll, which rises ten feet above the surrounding flat lands. Remnant dry and dry-mesic prairie species grow on this sandstone outcrop. Within the flat lands are gentle ridges that have lost their vegetation and organic matter due to agricultural practices, wind erosion, and peat fires, exposing the glacial sandy soil. These slight ridges are being reinvaded gradually by prairie species including little blue-stem, Indian grass, big blue-stem, rough blazing-star, and wormwood. The lower areas between the ridges are dominated by bluegrass, sedges, and willows.

Grassland birds are abundant including the uncommon grasshopper sparrow, clay-colored and savannah sparrows, eastern meadowlark, bobolink, eastern kingbird, and mourning dove.

The Area is managed as a rare animal conservation area to keep the site in a mostly open condition for use by Prairie-chickens and other grassland-dependent species. The Area also provide opportunities for research and education. The warm-season grassland is kept open by prescribed fire, mowing and grazing. A few scattered oaks will remain on the Prairie. Other permitted activities include control of invasive plants and access to view Greater Prairie-chicken mating rituals during the spring.

Buena Vista Quarry Prairie is owned by the DNR and was designated a State Natural Area in 1970.

Source: WDNR