The cohort of species Madison Audubon probably spends the most time and money on is the grassland birds. Southern Wisconsin with its mix of prairies, wetlands, and savannas was a haven for grassland birds. Today, with so much of that habitat gone or degraded and the birds in sharp decline, the DNR and conservation organizations including Madison Audubon, The Prairie Enthusiasts, and other Audubon chapters, have made the preservation and restoration of grassland bird habitat a focal point. MAS's great sanctuaries at Goose Pond and Faville Grove offer nearly 2,000 acres of prime grassland bird habitat. At one point or another you can see just about all of the grassland species at either sanctuary with, of course, dozens of others.
Bicentennial Prairie, a wonderful grassland for birds at Madison Audubon’s Goose Pond Sanctuary. Madison Audubon photo
And these species are? I'm not the one to ask. Once past bobolinks, meadowlarks, dickcissels, upland plovers (sorry, upland sandpipers, although I think “plover” is much cooler), and the harrier (their formidable, predatory companion), I get very shaky on identification. The sparrows… especially the sparrows. Some are so small — there's one at Goose Pond I always mistake for a large moth. Lots of you know better, and all our staff at the sanctuaries are great sources of knowledge.
Bobolink, dickcissel, and eastern meadowlark photos by Monica Hall; northern harrier photo by Phil Brown
The GOOD NEWS. Our upland birds and waterfowl and shore birds have found a wonderful new ally in the elected officials and Land and Water Resources staff of Dane County. Determined to improve water quality and reduce flooding, Dane County has recently bought hundreds of acres in many different parcels, mostly in the Upper Mendota watershed. Almost all of this land is in row crops. Over the next few years, the County will restore those lands to prairie and wetlands, which are infinitely better at retention and infiltration of water and happy, happy homes for grassland birds. The wetlands and upland cover will also provide more habitat for waterfowl and shorebirds.
Let's not forget climate change. A prairie sequesters carbon wonderfully well and replacing a field of row crops with a prairie is about a good of a carbon bargain as you can find. The County's purchases and restorations will mitigate some of the changed climate's most noticeable and damaging effects — increased run-off and floods — while addressing also the root cause of those events.
Black Earth Creek, photo by Ketih Ewing FCC
These lands will eventually be open to public for a variety of outdoor recreation including hiking and birding. This blog provides links to the County's announcements of these purchases, which include maps. Before visiting any, please check the Dane County Land and Water Resource Department website to find out when the property will be open to the public. Many of the properties require several months of work to allow for safe public access. As we know from work at our own sanctuaries, restoring even 40 acres to prairie and wetlands takes time, labor, and money. Converting hundreds of acres is a monumental task.
Some highlights of the purchases. The crown jewel is the 160 Acker Property at the headwaters of Pheasant Branch Creek, just north of Middleton. Because of the size and location of this property its restoration is a key to flood mitigation in that area. The County aims to have the entire property restored to grasslands and wetlands in 4 years.
Map provided by Dane County Land & Water Resources Department
My favorite property adjoins the US Fish and Wildlife Service Waterfowl Production Area off CTH V between DeForest and Waunakee. At nearly 100 acres, this will be a spectacular addition of grassland bird and waterfowl habitat.
About another 100 acres alongside Cherokee Marsh and not far from the County Dog Park. You can alternate between walking the dog and birding — just don't combine them. The dogs need to be in their very own park.
Map provided by Dane County Land & Water Resources Department
Several acquisitions totaling over 100 acres include Token Creek. Token Creek is the largest single source of spring water to Lake Mendota so these purchases will have dramatic water quality benefits, in addition to all the others described above.
Token Creek County Park in full bloom, filled with water loving Joe Pye Weed and other native species. Photo by Erin FCC
The showstopper outside of the Yahara Lakes watersheds is the most recent purchase, again over 100 acres, just west of Middleton, of row crops and wetlands at the headwaters of Black Earth Creek. This purchase will also enable the County to restore wetlands and prairies on another adjoining 95 acres. The showstopper? A remnant oak savanna at the north end of the property. From this hill one can see the Wisconsin State Capitol.
Here’s the connection to advocacy: local elections matter. For over 30 years, Dane County voters have elected County Executives who have explicitly promised to preserve and improve the County's natural resources (disclaimer, I worked for two of them). Rick Phelps created the Conservation Fund to purchase and protect such lands. Kathleen Falk won the $30 million Open Spaces referendum that accelerated these purchases and secured the future of such activity. Joe Parisi has expanded the purchases (all the recent purchases described and linked in this account happened under Joe's watch) and improved the management of such lands.
The release of this blog was delayed a bit because of some technical issues so is running after the elections. COVID-19 and officials' responses to it have drastically altered the conduct of elections. We cannot know the extent to which the pandemic will have retreated, continued, or rebounded in November. Please plan to take whatever steps necessary to vote and have your vote counted in the November elections.
The next time you say “hi” to a dickcissel or a grasshopper sparrow, chat a bit. Let them know we and they have a brighter future than they might have imagined, thanks to the hard work and dedicated resources of of conservation-minded policymakers and public servants in Dane County.
Written by Topf Wells, Madison Audubon board member and advocacy chair
