Stewardship of the PCA
The Platteville Community Arboretum lies on what was once Potawatomi land. We are grateful to those who long stewarded this land and now, are working to restore the PCA to native habitat, creating healthy habitat for the local flora and fauna while making it a beautiful place for people to enjoy.
The now paved and lit PCA trail was a functioning railroad route from 1870-1980. The local station was razed and the route was formally abandoned in 1980. Disturbances to the land caused by human activity, altered the native habitat and much of our work now is remediating those alterations. Our goal for the entirety of the land surrounding the PCA is to remove all invasive species (species that are non-native to an ecosystem and whose introduction likely causes economic, or environmental harm) and restore all vegetation to native species. Ecological restoration takes a lot of time, patience and adjustments. Depending on which season you visit the PCA, you’ll see different management techniques being used. We target different invasive species in different seasons and by different methods.
Current Restoration Projects
Oak Savanna Restoration (trailside between light poles 89-94)
Our goal is to restore this area to native oak savanna habitat. Oak savannas and prairies are the habitats that once dominated the Driftless region. The area will have a diverse mix of native groundcover plants (grasses and flowering plants) with a relatively sparse number of native trees.
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During the past three years, this area was cleared of most trees, shrubs and debris. In the summer of 2020, we mowed the area
regularly to keep weeds from spreading seeds. In the 2021 growing season, we kept the area mowed, City of Platteville crews helped remove large stumps and we applied multiple rounds of herbicide* in an effort to kill persistent perennial weeds.
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In fall 2021, three new oak trees were planted in the area. Late fall 2021, we will re-seed the area with a mixture of native grasses and wildflowers. As site preparation progresses, we’ll plant three more oak trees in sparse clusters, which is consistent with a typical oak savanna habitat.
Our Monday morning work crew has put in a lot of time and effort in preparing this area for restoration, we appreciate their efforts! A large native seed purchase for this project was also made possible with a grant from the Platteville Community Fund.
Restoration Area, Spring 2021
Restoration Area, Fall 2024
Restoration Area, Fall 2024
Volunteers Wayne Schambow and Dave Carnahan removing stumps, 2020
"Grizzly Flats"
“Grizzly Flats” is a small, triangular shaped 0.15 acre parcel located trailside south of Valley Road (behind address 500 US-151 BUS, Platteville), and north of businesses like Domino's Pizza & Fastenal (and a future Grant County Humane Society, coming in 2025).
Named for the roller-rink that once stood in its spot, PCA is working on restoring this parcel to prairie habitat. Work began in 2021. Small trees and woody shrubs were removed, and the City of Platteville crews helped remove large stumps, and a herbicide* was applied a few times during spring and summer in an effort to kill persistent perennial weeds. Re-seedings of the area with a mix of prairie grasses and wildflowers has happened in the late fall.
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In spring 2024, the first graders from Westview Elementary planted a hundred common milkweed plants here.
Restoration Area designated in yellow
Grizzly Flats Restoration Area, Fall 2024
Deputy Coordinator, Clay Schaffer, helps a first grade student plant common milkweed
Shrub Nursery
In the winter of 2020, PCA purchased 100 bare-root shrubs from Lafayette County Conservation, Sanitation and Zoning Dept. Native shrubs provide excellent food and shelter for wildlife and in an effort to give them a better chance at survival, we’ll transplant shrubs from their “bare root” stage (dormant, young plants which are much less expensive to buy than mature shrubs) and let them grow for a couple years in a protected area with volunteer caretakers before transplanting along the trail. Transplanting a larger, more established shrub gives it a better chance of survival against deer and rabbits who find tender, young foliage especially tasty. Donations for this project came from Wagner Nursery and the UW-Platteville Reclamation Club provided volunteer labor in repotting all 100 shrubs.
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Thanks to help from many community organizations, these shrubs were planted along the trail in September 2022.
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young shrubs, spring 2021
*Note on herbicide use in restoration:
We strive to use the most environmentally friendly methods to restore habitat along the trail and only implement the use of herbicide judiciously. In the case of site preparation, using herbicide allows us to more efficiently prepare large areas of land for re-planting. This site preparation gives native plants the best chance of thriving, while not having to compete with non-native perennial species.
How to get involved
Interested in joining us in our conservation work? Join any of our volunteer crews! Find out more here.
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