The Sheepberry Fen preserve includes a mix of dry upland prairie and oak savanna and a large groundwater-fed wetland complex called a calcareous fen. Calcareous fens are rare peat wetlands characterized by cold inflowing groundwater containing dissolved calcium and magnesium. This environment creates ecological conditions favorable to supporting certain very rare plants.
There are four threatened plants found in the preserve: sterile sedge, whorled nut-rush, hair-like beak-rush, and prairie moonwort. Little bluestem, Indian grass and side-oats gamma are the dominate grasses. Porcupine grass and big bluestem are also common. In spring and summer visitors won’t be disappointed when the hills are ablaze with prairie flowers. An array of purple coneflowers, blazing stars and asters bloom among the gamma grasses.
Four occurrences of regal fritillary butterflies (a species of special concern) have been found on the preserve among many other butterflies. Birds, including bobolinks and meadowlarks, nest among the grasses. Northern harriers, with their distinctive white tail markings, hunt from the skies above the preserves.
Why the Conservancy Selected This Site
What the Conservancy Has Done/Is Doing
Our specific role in this conservation area is to maintain the proper natural disturbances needed to maintain the diversity of the fire-dependent systems, such as dry hill prairies and oak savanna. Another important role for the Conservancy is to ensure that proper land management is conducted along the edges and within the wetlands, especially since calcareous fens are rare peat wetlands.
For more information on visiting this and other Minnesota preserves, check out our Preserve Visitation Guidelines.
From Paynesville, take State Highway 55 west to Brooten, then take County Road 8 west about 6 miles to Highway 104. Go south on Highway 104 for 3 miles to County Road 84. Go west on County Road 84 about 1.75 miles. Go south onto 172nd Avenue. Sheepberry Fen is 1 mile south on the west side of 172nd Avenue. Look for the preserve sign.