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Conservation manager highlights invasive-plant work, prescribed burns and prairie restoration
Summary
Tom, Muskego’s conservation land manager, briefed the Parks and Conservation Committee on invasive species control (buckthorn, phragmites, garlic mustard), prescribed burning, prairie reconstruction and volunteer opportunities across 28 conservation sites and other protected acres in the city.
Tom (conservation staff) presented an overview of Muskego’s conservation land management program at the committee’s June meeting, describing invasive-plant removal, prescribed burns, prairie reconstruction and community involvement across the city’s conservation holdings.
Tom said Muskego has 28 conservation sites totaling about 580 acres; he added that the Wisconsin DNR owns roughly 1,000 acres in the broader community and that private conservancy land exceeds 500 acres. He emphasized that remnants of pre-settlement prairie and oak savanna still exist in some locations and that removing invasive shrubs such as buckthorn can yield rapid native-plant recovery: "We got rid of the buckthorn and it... it's flourishing," Tom said while showing before-and-after photos.
Tom described common invasive species the department encounters — buckthorn, phragmites, garlic mustard, Canada thistle, teasel and dame's rocket — and his typical response: mechanical removal, stem treatment with herbicide and then chipping or piling and burning of cut material when appropriate. He said the city treats stems with backpack sprayers and uses prescribed fire as a restoration tool when conditions and safety plans allow.
On prescribed burns, Tom explained the ecological rationale and safety protocols: burns are planned with weather checks, training, fire breaks and personal protective gear. He said the department cycles burns to avoid harming insect life over the long term but noted burns also reduce tick numbers in treated areas. Tom said the city last burned some sites in March.
Tom also described restoration work: volunteers and crews spread seed mixes, interseed additional species over time, and use freeze-thaw cycles in winter to help seed establish. He noted recent successes at a Bridal site near Batash Preserve (described in the presentation as areas just north of a preserve) where removing dense shrubs exposed a remnant prairie seedbank and produced strong native re-growth after clearing.
Tom encouraged committee members and residents to visit Engle (Engel) Conservation Area and other sites during bloom season and invited volunteer participation in seed collection, planting and prescribed-burn support.
