Russ Hefty just died, sad news for Russ's family and friends. Purple Martins, Cherokee Marsh, the Sugar River and many other creatures and habitats and those of us who cherish wild creatures and wild places will miss his persistent, thoughtful advocacy.
When Mark and Susan Foote-Martin moved into the Resident Manager roles at Goose Pond Sanctuary in 1979, Russ was volunteering and helping Ruth and Oliver Wynn, the former land managers, plant prairie plants and remove invasive species. He went on to work with Mark and Sue on prairie restoration.
The American lotus blooming in Cherokee Marsh today is in part thanks to Russ Hefty’s work. Photo by Brenna Marsicek/SoWBA
Russ worked for the City of Madison's Parks Department in the Conservation Parks Division. If you have a favorite wild spot in a large Madison Park, Russ probably helped to preserve and improve it. He loved Cherokee Marsh. Many folks now think of it as a lake but it's marsh that was changed and degraded by the Tenney Park Lock and Dam, which raised the water levels of Lake Mendota and Cherokee Marsh substantially. In Russ's view, that led to erosion and the loss of native vegetation and stability. His efforts to protect and restore Cherokee illustrate one of the problems of modern conservation. It's almost impossible or impractical to undo some damage. I was on a committee that conducted a substantial analysis and review of lake levels in the Yahara Lakes and we spent a lot of time on the Tenney Dam. We encountered high feelings, passion, anger, enthusiasm, and stubbornness. The dam is still there and may well last as long as Madison does. Of all the folks who participated in those discussions, Russ was among the most thorough, careful, clear, persistent, and respectful. To improve water quality and provide wildland habitat in the open water at Cherokee Marsh, Russ successfully re-introduced American lotus. Cherokee should always have a champion as dedicated and able as Russ.
A pair of Purple Martins interact outside of an nesting gourd. Photo by Arlene Koziol
He loved and cared for birds, especially Purple Martins, one of SoWBA's favorites. He built and distributed lovely Purple Martin houses. He also experimented with nest box designs and Purple Martins around Madison and Bellville are probably soaring and feeding on dragonflies as I write this and some have their homes in Russ's nest boxes.
He also helped locate Purple Martin colonies, especially in Amish communities southwest of Madison. He also helped others establish colonies. When Mark and Susan Foote-Martin erected a Purple Martin gourd rack at their cabin last year he mentioned that a “Songbird Magnet Bird Caller” should be acquired to play the “dawn song” to attached martins. He then mentioned that he purchased 10 callers a few years ago and was selling them at cost to Purple Martin prospective landlords. The call songs worked beautifully and Mark and Susan have three Purple Martins families using their gourds this year.
Russ wanted to know the history of natural resources. I think he thought one could not protect, preserve and restore a natural resource without knowing what it had been. We shared an interest in the Sugar River and Russ amazed me with his historical research, dating back to the original survey records, into the Sugar as it existed from the settlement of Dane County.
He volunteered his time and labor to improve many natural areas. He lavished lots of care on some lovely public land on Mt. Vernon Creek, one of many examples of his personal commitment.
Please see this link for Russ's obituary.
Russ loved the outdoors from early in his life and knew early on that he wanted to work as a conservationist. When we lose someone as dedicated and thoughtful as Russ, we can wonder who'll take up his mission? Land trusts like SoWBA, local governments like Madison, and the WDNR have some great young folks working as interns on our lands and waters. Some of those have Russ's passion, drive, and values. Let's make sure they have the opportunities Russ had.
Take care,
Topf Wells, Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance advocacy committee member
and Mark Martin and Susan Foote-Martin, Goose Pond Sanctuary resident managers
