Jackson Quarry Habitat Program

About the Program
Lannon Stone Products is working to restore 26 acres of former quarry in Wisconsin into native prairie grassland. The project began in 2020 following a minor collapse of eroded topsoil on a hill dominated by non-native and invasive species. The area was then regraded and seeded with a native prairie mix that could thrive in relatively poor soil conditions. The team's goal is to improve the habitat quality of the site for pollinators by increasing the ratio of native species to non-native species. They seek to eventually grow the project to over 100 acres, covering all of our boundary berms, and achieve more than 80% native species and less than 10% invasive species.

Practices and Impacts

• As the team builds their knowledge of the field, they derive ideas and goals from the Prairie Restoration Initiative led by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Lannon Stone works with environmental contractors and consultants to identify appropriate plant species for seeding and implement proper management methods. As of 2022, the team identified 58 species of plants in the area, with ~23% of all ground cover categorized as a native species.