Know Your Madisonian: John Kessler restoring little-known prairie remnant

ASHTON CORNERS — Chances are you’ve seen it, though you’ve probably never been there.
Situated in the middle of a farm field just off Highway 12 north of Middleton, the Ashton Unit of the Empire Prairies is a 12-acre state natural area with no public access.
But a couple of times each week, John Kessler drives his Ford F-350 up a dirt road to tend the hilltop, a remnant of a vast prairie that once spanned much of Dane and Columbia counties.
“It’s original soil that’s never been tilled before. Because of that it has a rich assemblage of native plants and several rare plants,” said Jared Urban, state natural area coordinator for the Department of Natural Resources. “It’s kind of like old-growth forest, except old-growth grassland.”

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