Conservancy Map

The Ripon College Ceresco Prairie Conservancy project has been under way since the early summer of 1996. The project is a joint effort of many people, including Ripon College alumni, faculty and students, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and friends of the college.

The following map shows the general location of the 130 acres of land Ripon College is restoring to a mixed stand of wetlands, oak savanna and mesic prairie. As of April 2001, 88 acres have been planted using native genotypoe seed collected from prairies in this area of Wisconsin. Students, faculty, friends and alumni have been involved in the harvesting of seed.

Currently, the area is regularly visited by more than 100 species of birds, and there are nesting sandhill cranes, western meadowlarks and several species of waterfowl. Deer, fox and numerous small mammals are common.

A trail system allowing visitors easy access to the site was completed June 1997. We invite all interested individuals to come visit our prairie.