The ReFuGE Project takes place at Nachusa Grasslands, a 1,400 ha preserve consisting of restored and remnant tallgrass prairie, as well as woodlands and wetlands.  Nachusa is owned and operated by The Nature Conservancy.  For over 30 years, TNC has preserved remnant prairie and restored diverse plant communities at the site, resulting in one of the highest-quality tallgrass prairie restorations in North America. 

In 2014, staff at Nachusa reintroduced a conservation herd of bison as part of their comprehensive management strategies to promote plant diversity and control exotic weeds.  Combined with prescribed burns and large-scale predator exclosures being constructed on the site, Nachusa provides a unique opportunity to study how consumer communities re-assemble in restored ecosystems and how management decisions affect these processes. 

Nachusa’s staff is also extremely supportive of research and education at the site, and the Friends of Nachusa Grasslands provides small grants for student projects investigating prairie organisms and restoration ecology on the property. 

Research Site