Between more open savannas and dark forests, oak woodlands are often underappreciated and misunderstood. Dan Carter, chief ecologist with The Prairie Enthusiasts, will discuss how to recognize, restore, and care for oak woodlands.

In addition, Dan is volunteer steward at The Prairie Enthusiasts’ Mukwonago River Oak Barrens preserve. He is lead author of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ “coarse-level” assessment protocols for Wisconsin oak woodlands and oak openings.

Previously, Dan was responsible for natural area assessment and planning for the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission, Rundblad Research Fellow with Milwaukee Public Museum studying remnant oak woodlands and savannas, and coordinator of a sagebrush-steppe restoration experiment for The Nature Conservancy in Oregon.

He earned a doctorate in biology from Kansas State University, with research focused on the reconstruction of tallgrass prairie plant communities, and a bachelor’s in biology from Grinnell College. Dan has been active in ecological restoration and reconstruction, first with prairies, since the middle 1990s.