The Coulee Chapter of The Prairie Enthusiasts is set to host this year’s annual All-Chapter Prairie Conference and Banquet on Saturday, March 8, at the Cartwright Center on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.

The Prairie Enthusiasts are dedicated to the identification, restoration, and maintenance of prairies and oak savannas in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Illinois.

The conference will feature presentations of interest to prairie “buffs” as well as to the general public. Speakers and exhibitors will provide information focusing on the preservation and restoration of prairies and oak savannas native to the upper Midwest and the wildlife that inhabit these rare natural areas.

A special emphasis at this year’s conference will be goat prairies, those prairies found on the steep bluffs of the Coulee Region. In addition to the formal presentations, roundtable discussions will provide attendees an opportunity to “ask the experts” questions relating to prairie management, prairie planting and land protection.

Registration will begin at 7:30 a.m. with the opening of the conference at 9 a.m. Presentations and roundtable discussions on a variety of topics will continue through the afternoon.

A social hour will be held from 4 to 5:30 p.m. with the banquet and after-dinner presentation and entertainment to follow. Tickets for the popular conference raffle and auction will be available throughout the day.

The conference will be open to interested members of the public. More information about the event can be obtained online at http://www.theprairieenthusiasts.org/conference08/welcome1.htm or by calling UW-L’s Continuing Education Extension registration office at 785-6504.

Participants will also be able to register at the Cartwright Center on the day of the conference.