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 Conservancy 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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🌱 Do you know Groundswell’s founding story? It happened right here in Madison…
The year was 1983, and environmental leaders across Dane County had come together in a courageous effort to protect the last piece of land in a corridor stretching from the UW Madison campus to Picnic Point.
Known at the time as the Lower Eagle Heights Woods, the cherished 3.4-acre parcel and home to an infinite variety of native plants and some 30 species of nesting birds, was being eyed for a condominium project.
When reports of the impending condo development hit the local news, concerned citizens sprang into action. They launched a community effort to “Save the Woods” championed by environmental attorney Bill O’Connor and mayoral aide David Chandler. Mayor Joe Sensenbrenner formed a steering committee, chaired by former Assembly Speaker Norm Anderson. This committee established the Dane County Natural Heritage Foundation (now known as Groundswell Conservancy) – a land trust – to serve Madison, Dane County and the region. (Norm served as our organization’s president for its first five years.)
Dane County Board members Wally Bauman and Bill Lunney also took up the cause, educating reluctant colleagues about the wider significance of the leafy green lakefront parcel.
Finally, in one of the most amazing land deals at the time, the property was purchased for preservation — with contributions from the UW ($100,000), the city of Madison ($80,000), Dane County ($40,000), and more than $30,000 in private funds from the State Journal’s campaign. The remaining funds were provided by a federal matching grant.
To ensure the land would never be developed, the new Dane County Natural Heritage Foundation placed a conservation easement on the property. The woods were renamed in honor of Wally Bauman. This special place is protected, forever.
You can read our origin story in its entirety on our website: groundswellconservancy.org/who-we-are/history/
#groundswellconservancy #landtrust #conservation
✨A moment of awe and gratitude for our incredible planet. Thanks to Sam Douglass, our Farm & Land Management Specialist, for sharing this capture of the Northern Lights last night!
Did you get to see them or have plans to search the sky tonight? #madisonwi #northernlights #auroraborealis
🔥 Controlled burns happened this week at Westport Prairie—a key part of managing and restoring native habitats.
As these controlled burns sweep through our favorite natural areas, they clear out invasive woody plants while leaving native species unharmed. With their deep, resilient roots, native plants remain safely underground, ready to thrive once the fire has passed.
If you have the chance, visit a recently burned area in springtime. You’ll be amazed at how quickly native flowers emerge, often weeks ahead of plants in unburned areas. It’s a powerful reminder of how fire, when used responsibly, restores and revitalizes the land.
#conservation #prairierestoration #landtrust #westportprairie #waunakeewi #prairie #groundswellconservancy
There’s just something so stunning about looking out over the Wisconsin landscape from above. Especially in fall! Today we visited Festge Park’s scenic overlook where you can see a beautiful view of the Black Earth Creek valley.
As its name suggests, the Black Earth valley farmland is also very rich. This prime farmland with its family farms and wetland areas characterize the valley floor. Steep slopes frame the valley and feature prairie remnants and oak savannas on the southern slopes, with mixed forest on the north slopes.
The valley encompasses a landscape of approximately 20,000 acres and includes the villages of Cross Plains, Black Earth, and Mazomanie. Two main tributaries, Vermont Creek and Garfoot Creek, feed into Black Earth Creek as it makes its way to the Wisconsin River. Since 2001, Groundswell has protected 1,000 acres of land in the valley through the purchase of land and conservation easements.
More land conservation projects are in the works, as Groundswell continues to collaborate with local landowners and communities to protect the lands and waters of the Black Earth Creek valley. Important partners in our conservation work at the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program, the Dane County Conservation Fund, Trout Unlimited, Ice Age Trail Alliance, and Gateway to the Driftless.
Have you been to the Festge Park scenic overlook?
🍁 Hey leaf peepers! As you probably know, most leaves stay green for the majority of the year thanks to a pigment called chlorophyll. This green pigment allows plants to absorb sunlight and convert it into energy through photosynthesis. When the temperatures start to drop, the chlorophyll begins to break down. This reveals other pigments (carotenoids) hidden beneath the green and gives autumn leaves their beautiful yellow and orange colors.
The brilliant reds and purples we see in fall come from a different pigment called anthocyanin. This pigment forms in the fall when sugars become trapped in the leaves. Think of trees like sugar maple, red oak (pictured above), and sumac, which put on some of the season’s most vibrant displays.
Happy leaf peeping!
📷: BJ BYERS
Lodi Marsh sits in a beautiful valley and features over 1000 acres of state land open to the public for outdoor recreation. Even better? A segment of the Ice Age trail traverses the east side of Lodi Marsh. Funding from the @teamknowlesnelson Stewardship Program, the Dane County Conservation Fund and supporters of Groundswell made it possible to protect this special place, forever. Have you visited Lodi Marsh?
🌱 Not all heroes wear capes. Some process seeds! 🌱 A great big thanks to Lexi Kohn, shown here processing stiff-leaved goldenrod seeds at Westport Prairie this week. These seeds will be used to plant an additional 10 acres of prairie this winter. More prairie means more wildlife habitat and cleaner water. Prairies also play an important role in sequestering carbon and helping to address climate change. Keep an eye out for our seed planting event, we`ll be inviting you to come out to be a part of this year`s big planting!
Photo: Sam Douglass
#prairierestoration #waunakeewi #climateaction #pollinators🐝
✨ Exciting news for a special place in Sun Prairie! Groundswell recently worked with the City of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, USA and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources @wi_dnr to expand opportunities for people to enjoy nature at Patrick Marsh, a wetland gem in Dane County. What does this mean exactly? Patrick Marsh is now a City of Sun Prairie conservancy park: Patrick Marsh Conservancy.
“Working in collaboration with partners to protect special places like Patrick Marsh is at the heart of Groundswell’s mission,” said Heidi Habeger, Groundswell’s Executive Director. “We are thrilled to see this change of ownership, knowing there will be so many benefits for wildlife and for people who enjoy getting out at Patrick Marsh.”
Sun Prairie Mayor Steve Stocker called Patrick Marsh becoming part of the city “a landmark moment for Sun Prairie.”
“Securing more than 200 acres for this conservation park not only preserves the habitat and natural beauty for generations to come, but it demonstrates what strong partnerships can achieve,” he said. “We are grateful to Groundswell Conservancy for its dedication to protecting this land, and we are looking forward to working together to provide a thriving habitat and natural park space for our community.”
Read the full story at the link in our bio!
Photo credit: Roberta H.
#conservation #conservancypark #sunprairiewisconsin #wetlands #outdoor#outdoorrecreation ✨
