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Places We Protect

Staffanson Prairie

Minnesota

Close-up of a regal fritillary. © Chris Helzer/TNC

Staffanson Prairie is home to two species of rare butterflies.

Viewing

Overview

Description

Staffanson Prairie lies on the western flank of the Alexandria moraine, a region of rolling hills and countless lakes that arcs from Willmar north past Detroit Lakes. Near the center of the preserve is a "prairie pothole", which is a type of wetland created by glacial action thousands of years ago.

What the Conservancy Has Done/Is Doing

The Nature Conservancy acquired 80 acres in 1972 from the Staffanson family, who had owned the land since 1930. The southern and eastern edges of the property had been cultivated with flax and grains, and the prairie was hayed annually until 1980. Since acquisition, The Nature Conservancy has conducted prescribed burns to maintain the prairie and a variety of management techniques have been used to control invasive and exotic species threatening the diversity of the prairie.

Access

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Size

94 acres

Explore our work in this region

What to See: Plants

Dominant grasses in the dry prairie include side-oats grama and porcupine grass. Dominants in the wet prairie include prairie cord-grass and blue-joint. Big bluestem, little bluestem, Indian grass, and prairie dropseed are common throughout the prairie. Thickets that are dominated by scattered aspen trees also provide shelter to invasive buckthorn, honeysuckle, and Siberian elm.

What to See: Animals

The regal fritillary, a species of special concern, also inhabits Staffanson Prairie. The preserve originally supported the poweshiek skipper, a now federally endangered species, but it has not been documented here in recent years. The pothole, a typical example of the prairie wetlands that produce most of North America's waterfowl, supports breeding mallards and blue-winged teal.

For more information on visiting this and other Minnesota preserves, check out our Preserve Visitation Guidelines.