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Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin

grant award: $300,000; year awarded: 2021

Rush Creek State Natural Area is a 2,800-acre protected area on the Mississippi River featuring one of the most extensive remaining dry prairies in the Midwest. Climate projections indicate temperature increases and hydrological changes for the region, making the ecosystem less inhabitable for native species. This project will restore and re-connect remnant dry prairies, restore oak savanna and woodlands by removing invasive species and applying prescribed fire, and will convert cropland into native prairie and savanna by planting climate-adapted species and genotypes. The resulting landscape mosaic will provide a continuum of resilient, intact, and connected habitat for hundreds of wildlife and plant species while also providing carbon mitigation benefits.