Overview of the Preserve |
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Pleasant Valley Conservancy State Natural Area Use the Menu on the left to access various pages of the web site. Pleasant Valley Conservancy State Natural Area No. 551 is a 140 acre Preserve in western Dane County, Wisconsin. It consists of extensive restored oak savannas, dry, mesic, and wet prairies, wetlands, and oak woods. Scenic views and wildlife viewing are excellent, and several trails provide ready access to the Preserve. Especially noteworthy at Pleasant Valley are the fine oak savannas, once common in the Midwest but now very rare. The Preserve has many large open-grown white and bur oaks, which can be viewed from Pleasant Valley Road, and seen close up from the trails. The herbaceous layer in the savanna is highly diverse. The Preserve provides excellent habitat for cavity-nesting birds, including red-headed woodpeckers, a characteristic bird of oak savannas. Red-heads breed in the Preserve and can frequently be seen from the upper ridge trail. Breeding bird surveys have found around 70 species, including a number of rare and/or interesting species. Over 300 species of flowering plants have been recorded, including several rare ones. Purple milkweed, a species endangered in Wisconsin, is found extensively in the savanna areas and is thriving. Other plant species found here that are threatened or of special concern include: upland boneset, cream gentian, glade mallow, yellow giant hyssop, prairie turnip, and sweet Indian plantain. Pleasant Valley Conservancy is a site of The Prairie Enthusiasts (TPE), an organization active in the upper Midwest. Part of the Conservancy is owned by TPE and the rest is permanently protected by a conservation easement donated to TPE by Kathie and Tom Brock. |
Field Trips 2012
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Public Visitation Pleasant Valley Conservancy is a natural area, not a recreation area. Motors, bicycles, snowmobiles, ATVs, or any other mechanical vehicles are not permitted. Walking and nature study are the principal activities possible. Walking is restricted to the trails shown on the map. Removal of plants and seeds is strictly prohibited. Download a PDF Version of the Map Directions: The Conservancy is 5.5 miles southwest of the Village of Black Earth. Head south from the center of Black Earth on County Highway F/Wisconsin 78. Turn right at County F/County KP/Madison Street. Turn left on County F about 1.1 miles. Go 3.7 miles to Pleasant Valley Road, which enters from the left. Turn left on Pleasant Valley Road. The preserve will be on both sides of Pleasant Valley Road. To reach the trail entrance, continue past the steep hillside until you reach an open area and walking trail entrance on your left (about ¾ mile east on Pleasant Valley Road from the junction with County F). Cars should be parked off the road facing the entrance.
Bicycling Bicyclists find the hill country surrounding Pleasant Valley Conservancy attractive, and a visit to the Preserve can easily be combined with a pleasant bike trip. A convenient rack is available at the Preserve entrance where bicycles can be locked. An excellent outing is to drive with your bike to the Village of Black Earth and begin your bike tour there. There is a nice village park (Veteran's Memorial Park) where you can get set, and you can park your car in the shade on Park Street. (There are two great restaurants almost next door to the park: Luckenbooth's and David Heiney's. The former is great for casual dining and the latter has a high-end menu.) From Black Earth go west on County F/KP and take County F at the tee intersection about a mile west. Continue on County F about 4.5 miles until you reach Pleasant Valley Road, which starts at your left. You are now on Pleasant Valley Conservancy land on both sides of the road. Enjoy the great prairie remnant on your left, and the extensive wetland on your right. Travel about 3/4 mile until you reach the Conservancy entrance. Lock your bike and walk on the marked trail through the prairie and up into the savanna. NOTE: Bicycles are not permitted on Pleasant Valley Conservancy hiking trails!
Hunting is allowed by permit only. Only deer hunting is permitted. Pleasant Valley Conservancy is within the deer eradication zone of the Department of Natural Resources, and because of this has an extended deer hunting season, in addition to the regular November hunt. Hunting during the extended season requires a state-issued landowner permit as well as a hunting license. For information on deer hunting, call Tom or Kathie Brock at 608-238-5050. Protected Natural Area Pleasant Valley Conservancy is permanently protected. It is owned in part by The Prairie Enthusiasts (TPE) and in part by Tom and Kathie Brock and TPE holds a conservation easement on the Brock portion of the Conservancy. Pleasant Valley Conservancy is a State Natural Area (number 551). Volunteer Activities Pleasant Valley Conservancy welcomes the help of volunteers in its restoration work. Two activities that make considerable use of volunteers are controlled burns and seed collecting and planting. Burns are conducted in both the spring (March-April) and Fall (November). Seed collecting is a major activity from late August through early November. Planting is usually done in the spring after burns are completed. More detail on volunteer activities. For information about activities, including volunteer work parties, call Tom or Kathie Brock at 608-238-5050 or send a message.
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