A Summary of Volunteer Accomplishments in 2021

A volunteer crew gathered to successfully burn Erickson Conservation Area.

Volunteers gathered vital data at Spring Valley Tract during a successful BioBlitz.

Volunteers were hard at work clearing brush all winter long at Spring Valley Tract.

Our incredible volunteers made a huge difference to the habitats of the Driftless. What a GREAT year we've had!

People involved:

Total number of all volunteers = 66
Total hours worked by all volunteers = 620 hours
Plus, two 6-person WisCorps Youth Conservation Corps Service teams worked at two preserves, Spring Valley Tract and Erickson Wetland.

What we did:

200 linear feet of interior fence removed.
Prescribed burning carried out on 70 acres of wetland habitat.
10 acres improved during volunteer work days, including clearing invasive brush and hand-pulling invasive noxious weeds.
2.5 linear miles of trail corridors created or improved.
The DALC Bird-a-thon volunteer team, the Prairie DALCons, created bird lists for 15 protected and prospect properties, including all of DALC’s preserves, during the weekend event in May.
A Bio Blitz pulled together over a dozen plant lovers and botanists who helped us create an extensive species list for Spring Valley Tract.

Looking ahead:

$17,000 secured through partner programs and grants for habitat improvement in 2022 – 2023.
$25,000 secured for improving public access, and adding interpretive signage and structures at our preserves.

THANK YOU TO ALL!