MEET PARKER GIMBEL!
Faville Grove Land Steward since January 2025
Parker offers an apple to cattle (photo courtesy of Parker).
My name is Parker and I am very excited to be one of the co-land stewards at Faville Grove Sanctuary. I was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, which is very close to the Smoky Mountains. I spent a lot of time there when I was younger and developed an appreciation for nature and being outside. I moved to Milwaukee in 2016 and continued exploring nature on the shores of Lake Michigan. In 2021, I chose to pursue a degree in environmental science at UW–Madison. I wasn’t quite sure what I would do with it or what options there were for employment but I knew I wanted to do something related to the environment. One day in the winter of 2022, I volunteered at the UW–Madison Lakeshore Nature Preserve and I knew what I wanted to do as a career. We spent a snowy morning clearing buckthorn and honeysuckle from the woods surrounding a massive bur oak. It was very satisfying to see the effects of our work on the landscape. I worked as an intern for the Lakeshore Nature Preserve in the summer of 2023 and gained experience identifying native plants and animals. I became an intern at Faville Grove in the summer of 2024 and worked with Dane County Parks for the summer of 2025. I have fallen in love with the landscapes of southern Wisconsin in the past few years and I want to spend my life helping preserve and restore them.
Why did you want to join the team at Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance?
Working at a prescribed burn (photo courtesy of Parker).
I learned about Faville Grove from some of my college friends. I decided to apply for the summer internship and joined the 2024 crew. I stayed on for the fall and winter and fell in love with the land and the job. I love watching the seasons change and the different sights, smells, and activities that go along with it. Faville Grove is deeply connected to some of the founders of conservation like Aldo Leopold, and it is very humbling to play a role in furthering that legacy. The opportunity to work here full time and live on the property is not something I could pass up.
What's your favorite bird?
My favorite bird is the Gray Catbird. Although there are other birds with more interesting plumage or behaviors like the Baltimore Oriole or American Woodcock, the Gray Catbird has a place in my heart because of its call. Hearing the meowing call when walking through the woods is very welcoming, and I can’t help but respond with one of my own.
View of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore overlooking Lake Superior (photo by Parker Gimbel).
Name your top three favorite outdoor places.
I really like being anywhere near water, both for swimming and for birdwatching. The UW–Madison Lakeshore Nature Preserve will be very special to me because it’s where I first started learning about native plants, birds, and restoration techniques. It is such a unique place being so close to the UW campus and giving students and the wider community the opportunity to be out in nature. I also really enjoy the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore; swimming in Lake Superior is always so refreshing. Canoeing on the Wisconsin River is also a great time.
Share something cool you've learned since joining the team.
The beneficial influence that parasitic plants can have on a plant community is very interesting to me. Before working at Faville Grove, I assumed that parasitic plants were bad because they took nutrients from other plants. After learning about plants like dodder and wood betony, I know that isn’t the case. Parasitic plants can even the playing field in the competition for resources. Large plants like sawtooth sunflower might shade out plants trying to grow below it. But a plant like rope dodder will reduce the size of the sunflower and allow other plants to grow in the same area more easily.
Cover image: Gray Catbird perched in a verdant woodland (photo via Pixabay).
