Frautschi Point restoration underway

Frautschi Point, one of the most important of the UW–Madison campus natural areas, will begin the return to its former glory this week under a new plan for its restoration and study, university officials announced today.

See also: Campus natural areas need maintenance to survive

The UW–Madison Arboretum is spearheading the effort to restore the land on Frautschi Point to a savanna landscape, the ecosystem that greeted European settlers in the 1830s. The project calls for the systematic removal of weedy tree species such as box elder and green ash that are threatening the biodiversity of the site.

“Over the past century, the beauty and ecological health of this remarkable piece of land has been compromised,” said Arboretum Director Gregory D. Armstrong. “By clearing portions of the thicket of early successional trees, we can save a magnificent old oak on the site, open a vista to Lake Mendota and begin the long-term restoration process. Implementing the restoration in pieces over time, as we are, will permit students and researchers to learn from, evaluate and fine-tune the restoration as it progresses.” The work on Frautschi Point will begin this week and continue through the fall, Armstrong said.

The Arboretum has considerable experience in restoring land to savanna, an ecosystem of open-grown trees, especially bur oaks, in a grassland setting. The Wingra Oak Savanna Project along Monroe Street in Madison is a noteworthy example of a site that is beginning to resemble its original state. It is also a testament to the ongoing teamwork between the Arboretum. researchers and local volunteers from the Dudgeon-Monroe Neighborhood Association. The Frautschi Point savanna has involved similar contributions of interested volunteers and University classes, and will continue to do so, said Armstrong.

The university received the land for Frautschi Point along Lake Mendota Drive near the Eagle Heights apartments in 1990 as a family gift in honor of Walter Frautschi. Thanks to an additional gift from Mrs. Walter Frautschi, the Arboretum is able to move ahead with the restoration of the land.

The Frautschi Point restoration project is part of the biological management plan for improving the ecological health of the campus natural areas, all managed by the Arboretum, Armstrong said.