Koester Prairie Fund

The Koester Prairie unit of the Prairie Creek Wildlife Management Area was established by the Koester Family in 2014 to conserve and protect rare and vanishing natural habitats found in the hills and valleys of the former pasturelands of this family farm.  Here you can find both remnant and restored prairie lands filled with rare native flowers and prairie birds never seen in urban settings.  Oak savanna and Maple Basswood Forest provide habitat for other rare native plants, birds and animals. 

Since the inception of Koester Prairie as a Wildlife Management Area, Craig Koester and Dave Kuhnau have shared a passion for preserving and enhancing this land.  Craig’s passion for conserving the site began as a child growing up on the farm.  Dave, his friend since childhood, learned to love the outdoors and has a passion for conserving the site as well.  Together they have spent hundreds of hours doing onsite work as well as coordinating efforts of DNR and other organizations to conserve the site.  Together with their wives, they have established the Koester Prairie Endowment Fund to provide funding to continue this important work in perpetuity.  They invite you to join this effort by contributing to the fund by clicking the donate button. 

As a State Wildlife Management Area this land is open to the public for enjoyment, hiking, birding, study and hunting as well. 

For more information about the Prairie Creek WMA and plan a visit, click here.