Southern Driftless Grasslands is Hiring!
The Southern Driftless Grasslands (SDG) partnership is looking for a new Program Manager. Are you or someone you know a conservation professional with a passion for leadership, program management, and protecting grasslands? If so, check out the full job description and application instructions here! This position is open until filled. We will begin reviewing applications on September 9th.
And be sure to read the parting reflection from former program manager Cindy Becker in this month's Notes from the Field below.
Reminder: Help Build the Driftless Trail
We have some great trail-building days coming up and would love to have you join us! We will be working on the scenic Welsh Hills Loop on the Taliesin estate near Spring Green. There are only two half-day workdays left for 2024: September 8th and October 6th. We also have two bonus full-day workdays on September 27th and 28th led by trailbuilding expert Willie Bittner of Great Lakes Trailbuilders. Learn more and sign up today!
Reminder: Learn the Steps of an Oak Savanna Restoration
In partnership with the Badgerland Foundation, DALC has been working to restore oak savanna at Wild Oaks Preserve for several years. Are you thinking of tackling a similar project on your property? Are you curious about the steps it takes to restore this endangered but vital ecosystem? Come out to "Oak Savanna Restoration Step-By-Step" on September 14th and get all your questions answered! Find more details and registration here. This free event is part of Wisconsin Land Trust Days.
Prescribed Burn Training for Wisconsin Landowners
Here's a new opportunity to learn about prescribed fire techniques and strategies with the Wisconsin Prescribed Fire Council! They've developed an entry-level training course for landowners that will cover fire ecology, burn planning, and implementation through a mixture of classroom and field instruction.
Training will occur on September 28 and 29 from 8am to 5pm, with a rain date of October 12-13, at the Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance's Goose Pond Sanctuary. Find more details and register here!
Evenings Afield: Planting Prairies - Seeds, Sites, and Sowing
Whether you want to plant a prairie garden or many acres of prairie, the method is similar. For September's Evenings Afield, visit Mike Degen and Meg Ziegler's robust, diverse prairie planting and learn how to select the right plants for a site, collect and process seeds, and choose an appropriate planting technique. This free event is from 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, September 26, south of Spring Green. Register now!
Volunteer Opportunities
Head outside and make a difference! Join our outdoor workdays:
Weekends at Wild Oaks: 1st and 3rd Saturdays of the month. Upcoming dates: 9/7, 9/21
Sundays at Sardeson: 3rd Sundays of the month. Upcoming dates: 9/22
Wednesdays at the Wetland: 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month. Upcoming dates: 9/4, 9/18
Driftless Trail Workdays: 1st Sundays of the month. Upcoming dates: 9/8
Find more details and let us know you're coming at our Volunteer page.
Notes From the Field
with Cindy Becker
Each August, as the sounds of the grassland birds begin to fade away, and the wildflowers and grass stretch tall - sometimes nearly a foot a day during peak growth - I think of my own cycles of growth. Every spring I struggle to pull the names of plant friends - my plant kin - from shelves in my mind crammed with other names and ideas from winter's activities. Every summer I marvel at how my body is stronger, my spirits lifted, and my senses sharpened by the constant contact with the natural world. I walk places with plants that wave cheerful greetings, berries awaiting my pluck, and ruts worn into the ground from my own and others' padded feet. By August though, I'm also thinking of fall, of change, of what I want to spend the winter thinking about or working on. And so it goes. The only thing constant is change. This, for me, is the beauty of the seasons.
This fall, change comes of a different kind. By the time you read this, I will be on my way to northeast California, to an area where the mountains meet the high desert plain. I'm looking forward to new rhythms, new birds, new plant friends. A new Kin-dom, I like to think. However, I am taking with me from southwest Wisconsin memories of many friends - 2-legged, 4-legged, feathered, and of chlorophyll - for which I am very, very grateful. The Driftless Area has a very treasured and special place, as is the community of people I've gotten to know along the way.
Cindy Becker
(Former) Southern Driftless Grasslands Program Manager
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