Driftless Prairies
The Driftless Area:
The extent of unglaciated and similar terrains in Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, and Minnesota
Location of property that inspired Prairie Visions (Sauk Co, WI)
The importance of prairies in the Driftless cannot be overstated. So-named for having been spared the effects of glaciation (or drift) during past ice age events, the Driftless is now widely considered a “biodiversity hotspot.”
Although a small amount of Driftless prairie habitat remains, organizations and landowners across the region area are increasingly committing time and resources to prairie reconstruction.
The boundaries of the Driftless Area are "surprisingly controversial," according to University of Wisconsin research.
2.5+ million-Year-Old landscape
24,000 Square Miles
one of the most endangered ecosystems on earth
0.01 - 1% of Driftless prairies remain
Source: Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey https://wgnhs.wisc.edu/catalog/publication/000997/resource/es057map