Will Rogers famously said, “God isn't making any more land.” In other words, we'd better take care of what's there. Thank goodness, the Wisconsin DNR, Dane County, and Madison Audubon are listening, and just stepped up to do just that.
Here you can read more about the DNR's extraordinary purchase of 1800 (!!!!!!) acres of muck farm in Jefferson County. By the end of this year, the DNR will begin wetland restorations. The property will become a haven for birds, other wildlife, and outdoor recreationists of all sorts. Some important streams and rivers run through the property and they should see an improvement in water quality.
A couple of weeks earlier, more fabulous news and another link. This reports and maps Dane County's purchase of 625 acres (!!!!!) on the Sugar River between Verona and Paoli. This land has 2,000 ft. of frontage on the Sugar River and a remnant oak savanna. Most of the rest is in row crops, which the County has promised to restore to prairie and wetland beginning in 5 years. Deja vu: The property will become a haven for birds, other wildlife, and outdoor recreationists of all sorts.
Solitary Sandpipers along a shoreline. Photo by Gary Shackelford
And a couple of days before, Madison Audubon introduced our members to the Fair Meadows Sanctuary and State Natural Area. This land (over 300 acres !!!!!) had been lovingly obtained, restored, and managed by Penny and Gary Shackleford. They have donated the property to Madison Audubon (!!!!!)—okay, that's a lot of exclamation but this is all wonderful, hopeful, exciting news. While opportunities for outdoor recreation will be limited, the emphasis will be maintaining superb habitat for native birds, vegetation, and other wildlife.
Fair Meadows Sanctuary and State Natural Area, now owned and protected by Madison Audubon. Photo by Gary Shackelford
Finally, to a work in progress, the funding and restoration for another Madison Audubon acquisition, a key 80 acre parcel at Faville Grove Sanctuary. Again, prairies and wetlands will replace row crops to the delight of—readers, take a guess—birds and other wildlife.
The County purchase connects almost 1400 acres of County lands for coordinated restoration and management. The DNR lands double the size of its lands at that location. Restoring a muck farm is pretty high on the list for improving water and creating habitat. The Faville piece, while important in and of itself, also reduces harmful impacts to the surrounding Madison Audubon lands. Fair Meadows is simply a gem that we have to keep polished.
here are some advocacy and action suggestions:
Donate to Madison Audubon toward the Faville Grove Sanctuary land addition: madisonaudubon.org/puzzle
Thank the folks who made these purchases and donations possible. Thanking is as important a part of advocacy as are asking, requesting, or advocating. To be thanked:
DNR Secretary Adam Payne: adam.payne@wisconsin.gov or 608-576-8719
Dane County Executive Joe Parisi: parisi@countyofdane.com or (608) 266-4114
Gary and Penny Shackleford: fairmeadows@madisonaudubon.org
There are some more folks who should be thanked but it's not easy to discover who they are. The DNR and Dane County purchases, for example, occur only after many staff have worked on them, often for months or years. At the announcement of the County purchase, Laura Hicklin, the Director of the Land and Water Resources Department, noted that her staff and she had worked with the landowners for over a year. Both Madison Audubon actions involved a similar effort on the part of many of our staff.
One Madison Audubon staff person, though, deserves special thanks and notice. Drew Harry just left his land steward position at Faville Grove Sanctuary for what we hope is a great step in what should be a great career. Drew's last blog was on that 80 acres and it eloquently portrayed the importance and beauty of that land. That article was an appropriate end to Drew's wonderful work for Madison Audubon as he described the improvements to the land he had improved so much. He left Faville even better than he found it.
!!!!!,
Topf Wells, advocacy committee
Cover photo: Fair Meadows Sanctuary and State Natural Area by Gary Shackelford
