July News & Updates

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. Half-day workdays are the first Sunday of the month through October, and we'll 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!

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.

Savor the Summer Feast

DALC is pleased to be a sponsor of Savor the Summer Feast, a farm-to-table dinner co-hosted by Savor the River Valley and Edible Madison Magazine. This dinner is Saturday, August 10 at 6 p.m. at Hilltop in Spring Green. The multi-course meal in a magical outdoor setting will make the most of the beauty of the Driftless Area and the bounty of the food grown and produced here. Find more details and snag your tickets here!

Midwest Beaver Summit

We are proud to be a sponsor of the 2024 Midwest Beaver Summit, which will be held on Wednesday, August 28, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. CT. Register for this online event here and learn more about the ecological importance of beavers to our region and how we can coexist with them by managing beaver conflicts nonlethally.

Evenings Afield: Boosting Biodiversity on Farms

In the quest to maximize production, modern agricultural practices have torn out hedges and plowed right up to streams, radically simplifying the landscape - but we can change that. At August's Evenings Afield, learn how we can improve the health of our farm landscapes by increasing biodiversity with edge of field conservation practices, agroforestry, and many other ideas. This free event will be from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, August 22 at Twin Crix Farm, 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: 8/3, 8/17

• Sundays at Sardeson: 3rd Sundays of the month. Upcoming dates: 8/18

• Wednesdays at the Wetland: 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month. Upcoming dates: 8/7, 8/21

• Driftless Trail Workdays: 1st Sundays of the month. Upcoming dates: 8/4
  

Find more details and let us know you're coming at our Volunteer page.

Notes From the Field

with Jen Filipiak

Last weekend I attended a celebration of life for a dear friend to my family, who passed unexpectedly of a medical complication. She was only 54. While right now her legacy just feels like a dark and gaping hole, I know that loss will slowly transition to gratitude and appreciation for her extraordinary commitment to her community that will impact all of us in positive ways, forever. She was a true force of nature and did not abide fools.  

Two days later I attended DALC’s Legacy Society Picnic - another event that would have been standing room only if not for a last-minute venue change (thanks again, White Oak Savanna!). The picnic started with a small gathering at Erickson Conservation Area in 2021 and grows every year. We gather to celebrate the legacy that community members and landowners can create, shaping the future of Driftless Area Land Conservancy and our community with a planned gift. These gifts tell us that our work matters so much that individuals are trusting us with their legacies and trusting that we’ll be here, protecting the Driftless, forever. It’s a heartwarming gathering of like-minded, community-minded people and it’s always a pleasure.  

And just a day after that, Dick Cates, a long-time friend of DALC and countless other conservation and agricultural organizations, shared with me an early draft of a few chapters of his upcoming book about his family’s journey toward a land ethic. The part of the Cates Family’s journey that I know best is how they have worked a conservation ethic into a productive farming operation. Agriculture and conservation work really well together, if that's your goal. It’s all about management. The Cates family run a successful grass-fed beef operation, while maintaining Lowery Creek as a Class 1 trout stream harboring breeding native brook trout, and will soon open a portion of their land to the Driftless Trail. What a legacy to community and land.

These events in quick succession have me thinking a lot about legacy and transition this month - what one’s legacy is to their community and to the land. They have me feeling humble, and wondering what my legacy will be. I love that my work with DALC, and with all of you, make me actually think about this - what a question!  I’ll simply part this month with a heartfelt thank-you to my Driftless community, for all you do to build community and protect this beautiful place.

Jen Filipiak

Executive Director

jennifer@driftlessconservancy.org