Efforts to acquire and restore land, and how you can support it.

Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance (SoWBA) is undoubtedly a bird organization for bird enthusiasts—everything we do is for birds! But as a nationally-accredited land trust, we also invest a lot of time, energy, and resources into land projects. Sometimes that earns us a raised eyebrow, but most of the time it earns the birds we protect the ability to rest, nest, and refuel in a safe, protected area—and earns you the ability to visit and access those lands. And, the more land we can protect and restore, the more species that benefit. From the birds that need large swaths of habitat to reproduce to the bees that need hundreds of plants in bloom to provide for their young, this work is critical.

The fact of the matter is land matters. It is one of the best conservation tools for protecting and bolstering our native bird populations. Birds, pollinators, and other wildlife need land to reproduce, find food, and take safe harbor on their long migrations. People, too, need access to land and all the wonderful benefits that come with being in nature.

While we work hard to acquire grants and partner matches for these projects, what we’ve been able to accomplish in land protection has really come from the numerous donations and encouragement of our members. Over the past 60 years, we have worked diligently with land owners, agencies, and members like you to purchase, protect, and/or manage nearly 4,000 acres of land in southern Wisconsin.

Current Efforts

The year 2022 has been filled with behind-the scenes work to protect land. We can’t wait to share more details once the projects are finalized, but here are a few updates in the meantime:

• SoWBA will soon add 80 acres to Faville Grove Sanctuary in Jefferson County, increasing our protection of Faville Marsh and the surrounding uplands.

• In Green County, we just purchased at a bargain sale 155 acres adjacent to a natural area along the beautiful Little Sugar River. That purchase was made through grant funding (Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program and the North American Wetlands Conservation Act grant program), and will significantly add to the already existing natural area there.

• In Rock County, we are in the final stages of acquiring 376 acres loaded with restored native habitats that will be placed under SoWBA’s permanent management and protection.

• We’re even working on an exciting grassland habitat project in Dane County too!

As a result, birds ranging from Eastern Meadowlarks to Belted Kingfishers, Sandhill Cranes to Northern Parulas will benefit, along with many other species of mammals, insects, reptiles, and plants.

You can support this work

All of this takes time, planning, and effort—and it certainly takes money. We invite you to join in our effort to raise funds to replenish our land acquisition and management funds, which we use to strategically piece together the landscape into a broader, thriving ecosystem for birds, other wildlife, and the people who enjoy them.

There are three ways you can do this:

1. Make an online financial donation at swibirds.org/donate-for-land

2. Send in a financial donation to Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance, 211 S. Paterson St. #340, Madison WI 53703

3. Contact Becky Abel, director of philanthropy, at babel@swibirds.org or 608-770-0708 to discuss a gift or ask a question.

Thank you very much for your generosity, vision, and support for Wisconsin’s native habitats and birds.

Cover image: This new piece of land at Faville Marsh will allow us to eradicate reed canary grass from one-third of a mile of marsh edge, making more room for native species. Photo by Brenna Marsicek / SoWBA