Kaufmann Prairie

Overview

Bluff prairie is located in the middle of Dubuque, Iowa. This is an unusual example of a high quality prairie in the middle of a city that has managed to survive. Kaufmann Prairie features 9.3 acres of rugged, rocky ridgetops with an expanse of native hill prairie. This high-quality prairie features spectacular displays of bird’s-foot violet in the spring, also contains a good population of the Great Plains ladies’-tresses orchid and lead plants, traditional prairie plants and shooting stars. Birds at the preserve include the catbird, cardinal, brown thrasher and American robin.

Kauffman is a "goat" or hill prairie, which occurs on steep, thin soils with a south-southwest exposure. The best examples occur here in northeast Iowa’s Paleozoic Plateau. "Goat" prairie refers to the steepness of the slopes, on which only goats could be expected to graze.

Dubuque
updated 08/2010 by srshellb