Fair Meadows Sanctuary
Take a virtual stroll
Fair are the meadows, fairer still the woodlands, robed in the blooming garb of spring.
Nestled in the rolling hills near Lake Koshkonong in southern Wisconsin, Fair Meadows is beautiful in all seasons. In winter, snow hangs like frosting on pine branches. As the land awakens in spring, snow melts to reveal early spring flowers. Spring blends with summer and the landscape becomes a sea of colors, which flow together like a watercolor painting. As summer’s green fades, autumn’s reds and yellows begin to pop like fireworks.
It’s inspiring to see how decades of dedication and hard work pay off. The Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance's (SoWBA) newest sanctuary owes its incredible diversity and beauty to the restoration efforts of Penny and Gary Shackelford. While Fair Meadows is not open to spontaneous visits, scheduled open house periods, field trips, and events are frequently held. In the meantime, take a virtual stroll through Fair Meadows to get to know this true gem of nature!
Use the headings at the top of the page to jump to different sections of the StoryMap, or scroll slowly through as we take you on a guided tour of Fair Meadows Sanctuary.
Fog sits above the prairie at Fair Meadows Sanctuary. Photo by Gary Shackelford
Preserving Nature's Beauty
Over thousands of years glaciers carved this landscape. Before melting away, vast ice sheets left their mark at Fair Meadows. Kettle ponds reflect the sky, clear springs flow endlessly, and giant boulders called erratics are scattered sentinels, watching over the forests. Today, these features create a mosaic of habitats including woodlands, savannas, prairies, sedge meadows, and wetlands.
Fair Meadows teems with life. Its varied ecosystems support an astounding variety of plants and animals, including several species categorized as threatened or endangered. As you stroll one of the many trails, you’ll soak in melodies of birdsong rising over the prairie. You may hear a Barred Owl or a Pileated Woodpecker. Look for Swamp Sparrows or Wood Ducks in the marshes, or Tundra Swans soaring overhead. Or perhaps a weasel or a fox will saunter across your path.
Northern Parula, a beautiful wabler species. Photo by Gary Shackelford
Tree and plant life abound. You’ll see ancient bur oaks unfurl mighty limbs. If you’re lucky, you can find one of the rare plant species, seen at few other places in the world. The biodiversity is incredible.
Numerous trails wind through forests and restored prairies filled with native wildflowers. Start at Meadow View Prairie where you will hear a cacophony of grassland birdsong. Perhaps you’ll hear the melody of a Field Sparrow or spy an Osprey as it slices through the sky. Continue past Mirror Pond and maybe you’ll glimpse a Wood Duck or Hooded Merganser. Be alert! A Bald Eagle could soar past at any time. Proceed along Chuck’s Walk to Thiebeau Marsh, named for one of the area’s early settlers. Along the way you may hear the bugle of Sandhill Cranes or, in autumn Tundra Swans may cross the sky. You may even see a river otter or a beaver! Be sure to bring your camera and binoculars.
Baltimore Checkerspot on Black-eyed Susan. Photo by Gary Shackelford.
For the forest-lover, the woodland trails trace the area’s rich natural history. They begin near the sanctuary entrance and Heron Pond, where spring-fed water percolates from deep in the earth. This year-round wildlife mecca is home to the Great Blue Heron, Wilson’s Snipe, sandpipers, and many others. Apple Shed Lane leads through an area that was once an apple orchard into a hilly wooded area. The apple trees are gone, replaced with restored prairie, and the wooded area is once again populated with oak, shagbark hickory, and cherry trees.
Thanks to Penny and Gary’s patience and a long-term view, we have the scenic beauty and rich diversity of Fair Meadows Sanctuary. In 2023, Penny and Gary donated over 373 acres of Fair Meadows to the Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance. Their generosity guarantees that Fair Meadows will retain its natural beauty forever.
Fair Meadows Interactive Map
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Photos by Gary Shackelford.
Birds and Wildlife of Fair Meadows
Black Terns fly low, catching small fish from the waters of Fair Meadows's Thiebeau Marsh. These thin-billed marsh dwellers are adapted to wet environments, often building nests upon floating vegetation.
A Black Tern takes flight in Thiebeau Marsh. Photos by Gary Shackelford
A female autumn meadowhawk dragonfly rests atop wild bergamot. Meadowhawk flight season lasts from July through early November, beginning as the bergamot flowers.
Photo by Gary Shackelford
Turtle Pothole is home to small mammals such as muskrats, who use their large hind feet and tails as oars and rudders as they follow routine trails through the water and ice year-round.
Photo by Gary Shackelford
An American bullfrog peers out of Heron Pond. The largest frog species in North America, American bullfrogs congregate into groups called choruses to compete for territory, during which their low bellows can be heard echoing across the water.
Photo by Gary Shackelford
A white-tailed doe considers an anxious Sandhill Crane in Nighthawk Meadow. Both the doe and the crane have their young behind them, under the protective cover of the prairie.
Photo by Gary Shackelford
Two young Bald Eagles in their nest in a white pine. Their characteristic white feathers don't begin to grow until around 18 months after hatching, with their plumage being fully developed at around 5 years old.
Adult Bald Eagle with eaglet in a cottonwood tree at Fair Meadows. Photos by Gary Shackelford.
A common garter snake drapes over some big bluestem, a native prairie grass. Garter snakes are highly adaptive and call many ecosystems home. In the cool northern climates of Wisconsin, they are most active at the hottest parts of the afternoon.
Photo by Gary Shackelford
Usually underground burrowers, this groundhog (also called woodchuck) pup snoozes on a moss-covered rock at Fair Meadows.
Photo by Gary Shackelford
Waterbirds such as Double-crested Cormorants call Fair Meadows home. These large divers form colonies upon docks, rocks, or trees and are recognizable by their spread-wing stance as they air-dry their feathers.
Photo by Gary Shackelford
A female Pileated Woodpecker perches on a tree trunk at Fair Meadows. Holes drilled by woodpeckers are sometimes used by other birds and mammals to create their own homes—a demonstration of the complex ecosystems and communities at Fair Meadows.
Photo by Gary Shackelford
Plants and Fungi of Fair Meadows
PICTURED TOP TO BOTTOM, LEFT TO RIGHT: (1) Red stinkhorn mushroom, (2) Sandhill Crane among wild indigo, (3) amanita mold mushroom in Saxifrage Savanna, (4) wild lupine in Meadow View Prairie, (5) a grove of quaking aspens near Turtle Pothole rests between Propane Prairie, Beaver Marsh, and Big Prairie in the distance, (6) giant puffball mushrooms in the woodland, (7) moss and wolf's milk slime mold growing on an oak log near Saxifrage Pond, (8) dead man's fingers, (9) a bur oak blooms in Oak Knoll Prairie during spring, (10) an orbweaver spider's web adorns a yellow coneflower, (11) a crown-tipped coral mushroom on a moss-covered log, (12) cup-plants greet the morning fog in Beaver Marsh. All photos by Gary Shackelford.
Restoration Work
Restoration is a continuous process requiring hard work, persistence, and ecological knowledge. These combine at Fair Meadows to produce a landscape much like that of thousands of years ago.
Throughout the four decades the Shackelfords have owned Fair Meadows, they partnered with many organizations and individuals to restore acre after acre of degraded habitat. These organizations and programs include the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (Forestry Division and Bureau of Natural Heritage Conservation), the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), The Prairie Enthusiasts, Wisconsin Woodland Owners Association, Natural Resources Conservation Services, the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Protection, Wisconsin Wetlands Association, and the Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance.
In 1990, Penny and Gary Shackelford planted the first native prairie at Fair Meadows. Since then, they spent years expanding the prairie and restoring woodlands and wetlands. Their efforts culminated in native habitats that are rich in beauty and wildlife. Today, restoration involves collecting and planting seeds, completing prescribed burns, and removing invasive species. Penny and Gary, with help from longtime land steward Chris Kaplan and many volunteers, continue to painstakingly restore the prairies, forests, and wetlands and bring beauty to life. It is hard work that produces amazing results!
Restored prairie with pale purple coneflowers. Photo by Gary Shackelford
Seed collecting
Seeds are collected from the property to keep as much local genetic material as possible and are then re-planted.
In 2023, Fair Meadows land steward Chris Kaplan collected over 80 species, cleaned, dried, and planted seeds on the property. Particularly uncommon or rare species seeds are cold-stratified and germinated in plugs for planting on the property. Seeds are also traded with other Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance sanctuaries.
Seed collection protects the plant community’s genetics and extends native habitat through additional restorations. In this way, Fair Meadows remains a growing and resilient area.
Photo by Gary Shackelford
Prescribed burns
Prescribed burns are a critical part of habitat restoration. Burning creates an open landscape where native plants thrive. The root systems of many plants in southern Wisconsin have evolved with fire and rely on these burns to stimulate nutrient cycling, flowering, and seed production. At the same time, fires push back invasive plants, which compete with native plants for resources. Fires also prevent forest succession, where trees grow at the expense of native prairie plants. Because the ancient bur oak is resistant to fire, we see beautiful prairie-oak savanna landscapes at Fair Meadows. Fires are planned at Fair Meadows throughout the seasons, with most of the burns occurring in the spring and fall while vegetation is dormant. Burns are conducted by staff with help from trained volunteers.
Land steward Chris Kaplan performing a prescribed burn. Photos by Gary Shackelford
Invasive plant removal
Although prescribed fire controls invasive plants on a broader scale, some invasive plants must be manually removed. Otherwise, aggressive invasives crowd out native plants. Invasive removal is hard but rewarding work.
At Fair Meadows, invasive plant removal opens up native habitats and ensures a strong and resilient ecosystem where wildlife thrives. Dense woods once choked with buckthorn and honeysuckle are now open woods with an understory of native ferns, sedges, forbs, nannyberries, dogwoods, gooseberries, and blackberries.
The rows of apple trees once present in large numbers at Fair Meadows have been replaced by prairies with scattered oaks. Oak trees produce wildlife-sustaining acorns and provide critical habitat for a diversity of birds. Moreover, they attract hundreds of species of caterpillars, which are critical food for birds.
In the wetlands, a native mix of sedges, bulrushes, bluejoint grass, and cordgrass emerged from where they eradicated clones of reed canary grass, clumps of purple loosestrife, and hybrid cattails. Instead of straight, defined fence rows, the habitats flow together gradually and seamlessly.
Photo by Gary Shackelford
Bird and Wildlife Surveys
We can all take part in restoring and preserving natural communities, even in a corner of our backyard. A small shrubby area, a cluster of milkweeds or native trees like oaks, cherries, or hickories will provide a home and food for birds and butterflies, bees, and deer. This will enrich our lives and be a source of fascination and pleasure for our children.
It is critical to understand characteristics of animal and plant life in restored natural areas. When these are known, appropriate actions can be taken to ensure habitats are preserved and wildlife populations can grow. This is particularly important when threatened or endangered plants and animals are present.
Birds love Fair Meadows. Thanks to its diverse habitats, many species of birds spend time in the sanctuary, making it a birding mecca. A visitor may hear the ticket-ticket-ticket call of a Virginia Rail probing the shallow areas of a marsh, or spy a Yellow Warbler singing sweet-sweet-sweet-sweeter-than-sweet from a thicket near a restored prairie.
Wood Duck nest boxes dot the wetland areas, while Eastern Bluebird/Tree Swallow nest boxes can be found in the prairies. Additionally, two American Kestrel nest boxes are monitored during the kestrel breeding season.
Song Sparrow and Indian grass. Photo by Gary Shackelford
Fair Meadows Bird List
When species new to the sanctuary are identified, they are added to the bird list for Fair Meadows , which now stands at 196 species. This list includes the Bald Eagle, Osprey, Sandhill Crane, Pileated Woodpecker, Field Sparrow, Sedge Wren, Marsh Wren, and many more.
Female Wood Duck. Photo by Gary Shackelford
Great Wisconsin Birdathon
In 2023 and 2024, Fair Meadows participated in the Great Wisconsin Birdathon. The Birdathon helps study species presence/absence on one day in May each year, with a secondary goal of raising money for conservation efforts.
Two Solitary Sandpipers. Photo by Gary Shackelford
Christmas Bird Count
December 2023 marked the inaugural Christmas Bird Count at Fair Meadows in partnership with the Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance. Although Fair Meadows is not within an official CBC circle, we conducted our own survey. Seventeen birders fanned out into four teams to tally the number of bird species and individuals observed on that day. We intend to continue this fun tradition!
Male Mallard. Photo by Gary Shackelford
Annual Midwest Crane Count
Each year the cranes return like clockwork to the wetlands of Fair Meadows. It’s fitting that, since 1998, Fair Meadows has participated in the Annual Midwest Crane Count. Counts have ranged from 11 to 101! Most years the cranes are in the 15 to 30 range.
Sandhill Cranes. Photo by Gary Shackelford
Fair Meadows Through the Seasons
Photos by Gary Shackelford
History of Fair Meadows
A rock in Fair Meadows's woodlands adorned with moss and lichens. Such rocks called erratics mark the land's glacial history. Photo by Gary Shackelford
Fair Meadows is where nature, geology, and history intersect. The varied terrain showcases the glacial legacy of the landscape in the hills, wetlands, and scattered boulders. Along Apple Shed or Meadow View Prairies, apple trees once grew while horses once grazed Nighthawk Meadow. Glacially deposited rocks were once dragged by farmers to the border of Oak Knoll Prairie and Beaver Marsh. Wild rice still grows in Crane Pond. Although much has changed in this beautiful area, the echoes of the past remain.
Turtle Pothole in autumn. Photo by Gary Shackelford
Nearby Lake Koshkonong was once a shallow widening of the Rock River. It was bound by a glacial moraine, a ridge formed as the glaciers left the area. The Ho-Chunk and Potawatomi people had called this place home for millennia when European settlers first arrived in the area in the 18th century.
Crane Pond and Great Egrets. Photo by Gary Shackelford
The first European settlers to arrive were French fur traders. In 1778 Charles Gautier de Verville arrived in the area seeking spots for a new fur trading post. Others followed and built cabins near the shores of Lake Koshkonong. Fur trading ebbed after the Revolutionary War and settlers’ interest shifted to land acquisition.
Throughout the 19th century, the United States drafted treaties that resulted in many Native communities being displaced from their homes, including in southern Wisconsin. This represents an ongoing and concerted effort to dispossess Native communities of their land.
Wood Duck threat display. Wild rice at Fair Meadows once attracted all kinds of ducks, particularly the Canvasback. This gave rise to market hunting in the area, which became a key part of the economy but was devastating to wildlife. While still a popular sport in the area, waterfowl hunting is prohibited at Fair Meadows. We work hand in hand with neighboring hunt clubs to successfully conserve and protect the wetlands for these birds. Photo by Gary Shackelford
175 years of Fair Meadows
1850
Increase Lapham visits the area and observes wild rice growing “from five to seven feet above the water, and so thick all over that it was difficult to push a canoe through it." (quoted in Bates, The Bark River Chronicles, 2012, p. 247-248)
1937
Emily and Earl Kidder become caretakers of the land for the Parker family of the Parker Pen Company. The Kidders build a house and two cottages north of what is today called Heron Pond. For 8 years, the Kidders care for minks and peach and pear trees.
1952
Under the care of the Flynn family and the entrepreneurship of Goeff Parker (one of four Parker children), the Parker estate becomes an orchard. By the mid-1950s and early 1960s, apple trees are in full production, located near what is now Walnut Grove, Apple Shed Prairie, Meadow View Prairie, Oak Knoll Prairie, growing McIntosh, Spartan, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, and Idared apples.
1956
The property is enrolled in the Woodland Tax Law Program until 1976.
1964
The Riddle family moves to the area to work at the orchard, occupying what was then called the "Little Red House" on Sunny Beach Farm. They tend the orchard until it declines in the 1980s.
1985
Penny and Gary Shackelford purchase an 180-acre mosaic of apple orchard, wet meadow, and oak-hickory woods. Self-taught naturalists, the Shackelfords pursue a vision and mission of the "restoration of native habitats."
1987
The Shackelfords enroll in the Managed Forest Law program, which is the successor to the Woodland Tax Law program. This Wisconsin DNR program encourages sustainable forestry through a management plan. Fair Meadows remains part of this program until 2011.
1990
The Shackelfords plant the first restored prairie at Fair Meadows, sowing native seeds and removing invasive species. Photo by Gary Shackelford
1992
The Shackelfords purchase an additional 200 acres of wetland from a neighbor. The expanded property—now 380 acres—adds home for ducks, rails, cranes, Marsh Wrens, bitterns, and Black Terns.
2005
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources designates Fair Meadows a State Natural Area. To be considered for this status, a property must have outstanding natural communities, be a critical habitat for rare species, be an ecological benchmark reference area, and/or be an exceptional site for natural area research and education. Fair Meadows checks all the boxes!
2023
Penny and Gary Shackelford donate the 374 acres of Fair Meadows State Natural Area to the Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance, becoming our newest sanctuary with the vision of protecting birds (and all wildlife) through restoration and preservation of habitats, research, and education. As a nationally accredited land trust, SoWBA has the honor of stewarding this land in perpetuity. Penny and Gary, along with executive director Matt Reetz, celebrate Fair Meadows becoming a SoWBA sanctuary. Photo by Kaitlin Svabek
Wild white indigo in Big Prairie. Photo by Gary Shackelford.
Visitor's Information
While visitors are not able to make spontaneous visits to Fair Meadows Sanctuary, we offer frequent opportunities for the public to visit and enjoy Fair Meadows are posted on our events page .
Please note that Fair Meadows does not allow kayaks, canoes, dogs, or foraging. Hiking, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing are allowed.
Interested in organizing a group visit? Contact the SoWBA office at info@swibirds.org .
