Faville Prairie features a low prairie surrounded by sedge meadow and shrub-carr in Jefferson County. Owned by the UW System and managed by the UW Arboretum, permission is required to visit the site.
As denoted by its number (3), Faville Prairie was one of the first SNA’s and was designated in 1952. The fluctuating water levels and water-carrying soils have promoted a high species diversity despite much of the surrounding landscape being converted to agricultural use over the years. Faville Prairie is relatively flat in terms of topography but remains rich in species. Highlights I have found so far include turk’s-cap lily, small white lady’s-slipper, valerian, bottle gentian, and various asters and goldenrods. There are no trails here so great care must be taken to watch one’s step and not trample much of the vegetation. I would like to return to this site at different times of the year to watch the prairie change in composition and color.
More of my photos (and full-res) from Faville Prairie can be viewed here.
Additional Information
| SNA # | 3 |
| County | Jefferson |
| Natural Communities / Geology | Wet Prairie, Southern Sedge Meadow, Shrub-Carr |
| Size (Acres) | 87 |
| Parking | Roadside |
| Trails | No |
| Easy to Find | No |
| Best Seen By | Foot |
| Marked Boundaries | No |
| Ownership | UW Board of Regents; More info: Wisconsin DNR |
| Located Within |
n/a |
| Dates Visited | 7.12.11 |
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Location not disclosed |
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State Natural Areas of Wisconsin 