Roscoe Prairie SNA

56 Acres Located from Roscoe 2 miles W on Co Hwy 16, then 0.5 miles S. Stearns County Twp 123N Rng 32W Sec 35 Type: Deciduous Woods ECS Subsection: Minnesota River Prairie

Description:

A sandy outwash plain of the Crow River, the Roscoe Prairie landscape shows little variation in topography, yet it contains several prairie plant communities. The southern portion, a bit higher than the rest of the site, consists of nearly 25 acres of undisturbed blacksoil prairie, characterized by prairie dropseed, Indian grass, and big bluestem. The northern area is nearly level, with a few wet swales in which cordgrass and sedges dominate. Rich in species, this prairie SNA is home to pocket gophers, fox, short tail weasel, 13-lined ground squirrel, and whitetail jackrabbits. Hill's thistle, prairie orchids, spiderwort, prairie smoke, Indian turnip, purple prairie clover, wood sorrel, mountain mint, and spiked lobelia add their colors to prairie grasses through the summer, and a variety of butterfly species thrive here. Bird watchers may find upland sandpipers, marbled godwits, and American woodcock, among other bird species. Visit in the spring to watch migrating birds and see pasque flowers and puccoons in bloom; in late summer come see the abundant purple coneflower and leadplant. * indicates ownership in part or in whole by The Nature Conservancy.

Plant List