The environmental issues facing our world have never been greater – our climate is changing, farmland is disappearing, not everyone has good access to land, wildlife habitat is vanishing, and people are losing their connections with the outdoors. Groundswell is pushing back. With the help of our supporters, landowners, partners and volunteers, we are taking on big issues with focus and resolve. Acre by acre we are getting results.
With your help, we restore and care for our local natural landscapes for communities to enjoy and wildlife to thrive. No experience is necessary, and we provide the tools for the job.
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We are always working hard to protect the our special places in Dane County and the surrounding area. That includes out in nature, at our offices, and up at the State Capitol Building. Groundswell staff spent hours meeting with state elected leaders on Wednesday to advocate for funding the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program.
Not enough Wisconsinites know about how this program, administered by the Department of Natural Resources, is the state`s best conservation tool. It has helped protect more than 750,000 acres over the last few decades. And this year it is up for renewal.
@govevers has proposed giving the program $100 million every year for the next 10 years. That would triple the program`s potential impact! But the funding needs support in the upcoming state budget.
Our friends at @gatheringwaters organized this lobby day for us to meet with lawmakers from all over the state. We heard a lot of encouraging bipartisan support for the program! But politics are always shifting. Help us convince your representatives to support Wisconsin`s precious places. You can send them a message right now by visiting the link in our bio.
And please join us in welcoming our new staff member, JT Cestkowski!
You might recognize JT. Before joining us as our new Communications Coordinator, he was a TV reporter for WKOW for the last couple of years. Before that he worked in various news and communications roles with WKOW, Madison.com, UpNorthNews and the City of Columbus, Wisconsin. He covered the state’s natural resources and land use as a journalist. Now, he is bringing that passion to his work with us. JT will help maintain Groundswell’s friendly face in public, on social media and in the news.
#groundswellconservancy #conservationwhereyoulive #staff #danecounty
Please join us in welcoming our new staff member, Amy Mertz!
As our Director of Major & Planned Gifts, Amy will build and nurture relationships with Groundswell’s loyal donors, securing vital support for our growing footprint of protected places. For the 15 years prior, she was a nonprofit communications consultant, directing PR and marketing strategies for Madison Public Library Foundation, the Wisconsin Book Festival, and many other clients. A UW-Madison journalism and women’s studies graduate, then a writer and editor at The Capital Times, she`ll weave personal stories that demonstrate Groundswell’s impact into our fundraising efforts.
#groundswellconservancy #conservationwhereyoulive #staff #danecounty
From BJ`s latest Nature Update:
Throughout the year we clear invasive brush from some of our favorite outdoor spaces like Westport Prairie and Patrick Marsh. The brush piles tend to accumulate on the land until we get a little snow and then it`s time to light them up!
Every once in awhile I see a cottontail rabbit run out of one of the piles as we`re lighting it. It`s a good reminder that while they just look like piles of sticks to us, they can actually provide habitat (or I suppose rabbitat if you`re a bunny) for various critters. I always try to leave a few brush piles scattered here and there instead of burning them all for just that reason.
Sign up for our emails or check out our blog for the whole update!
📷: BJ Byers
#groundswellconservancy #conservationwhereyoulive #fire #phenology
From BJ`s latest Nature Update:
"As you can probably tell, most of the photos I took for this monthly nature update were from earlier this week when we still had a decent amount of snow. Now that a lot of the snow has melted and the ground is wet, keep an eye out for tracks in the mud. Just this week I`ve seen deer, turkey, squirrel, and even some raccoon tracks.
Mouse tracks are a little harder to find in the mud because mice are so light. Since they don`t weigh that much, it`s easier for them to walk around without leaving a trace. In the snow, however, rodent tracks are almost impossible to miss (like the photo above). While small (each individual track was <0.5"), it`s easy to find these little mouse highways on top of the snow. If you`re lucky, you can sometimes follow these tracks and find a pair of wing prints in the snow where they end... a sign that an owl or hawk swooped down for the mouse (unlucky for the mouse)."
📷: BJ Byers
#groundswellconservancy #conservationwhereyoulive #naturenow #phenology
Thanks to everyone who joined us for our annual burning of the phoenix at Patrick Marsh. Like the fire, our conversations were warm and welcoming.
As a reminder, stop by the phoenix throughout the year and weave vegetation throughout the metal flames of the phoenix. Your additions make our phoenix fire possible at the end of each winter. We look forward to setting it ablaze with you again next year!
The phoenix was created with the help of students at Sun Prairie`s Prairie Phoenix Academy and Westside Elementary School and constructed by Don Schmidt. The sculpture represents resilience, second chances, and personal and community growth.
Thank you to these supporters for making this sculpture possible: Anonymous, John and Judith Hutchinson, Tim and Beth Mielcarek, and Ann and Ron Semmann.
📷: BJ Byers
#groundswellconservancy #conservationwhereyoulive #phoenix #sunprairie #patrickmarsh
On Friday, February 21st, Groundswell purchased 42 acres of wetlands at Lake Mills Wildlife Area in Jefferson County. Now this land will be protected forever. That means more wildlife habitat, better water quality, and increased public access.
Land protection can take a long time. It also takes commitment from a willing landowner to see it through. Marilyn Trieloff and her sons worked with Groundswell for many years to protect this land for future generations. But as David Trieloff, one of Marilyn’s sons, put it, “We knew this was the right thing to do.” We’re thrilled by their decision to leave a land legacy!
The Trieloff Addition to Lake Mills Wildlife Area offers habitat for waterfowl, amphibians, and other wildlife. This habitat is important for migratory species that depend on large, protected areas for feeding and resting during their long journeys.
Protecting this land is great for public access, too. Partnering with Groundswell, Jefferson County plans to redevelop a small part of the property. These plans include putting in better parking facilities and easier access for canoeing and kayaking. When that’s done, the property will be donated to Wisconsin DNR and opened for outdoor activities like paddling, hiking, hunting, and fishing.
Read the entire post on our website blog.
📷: Rachel Barker
#groundswellconservancy #conservationwhereyoulive #wetlands #protectwetlands
Congratulations, Ben! We`ll miss working with you.
Ben Kollenbroich has worked at the Town of Dunn for 17 years, and for the last several years he was their Planning & Land Conservation Director. It was a privilege to work with him to protect farmland in the Town through their purchase of development rights program. He will be missed and we wish him the best as a Dane County Senior Planner with Dane County Planning and Development.
📷: Heidi Habeger
#groundswellconservancy #conservationwhereyoulive #congratulations #townofdunn
