Two New Properties Protected by DALC Bring Land Conservation Total to 7,989 Acres
With the purchase of Ringelstetter Wetland and a private landowner's voluntary protection of their property near Blue Mounds via a conservation easement with DALC, we're just eleven acres shy of protecting 8,000 acres of the Driftless! Many, many thanks to you, our amazing community, for making this possible. Your support matters every day to our beautiful Driftless home.
Volunteer Highlight: Ron Endres, the Man of Many Seeds Fifteen years, 73 nonprofits, and millions of native seeds - Ron Endres has single-handedly transformed the Driftless landscape with his donations of native seed for habitat restoration projects. By harvesting and processing seeds, especially those of uncommon or hard-to-access native species, Ron continually works to improve the diversity of restoration plantings in southern Wisconsin. Dive into his incredible labor of love in his feature on our "Community Highlights" page.
Read DALC's Newsletter
Hot off the presses, it's DALC's 2022 winter-spring newsletter! Read all about our 2021 highlights, the full history of the Ringelstetter Wetland project, updates on Southern Driftless Grasslands and the Driftless Trail, a message from our new board president, and more. Plus, enjoy a Driftless poem from local author Catherine Young. You can read the full newsletter online here, or get in touch to request a printed copy in the mail.
Don't Miss "Reading the Landscape" Workshops and Other Spring Events Are you new to owning land, or have a newly discovered interest in land stewardship? If so, DALC's "Reading the Landscape" series is for you! Learn about online resources to help you understand and manage your land, then join a field day to get inspired by other landowners' work. Check out more details and register here. Plus, we've got other great spring events like a trail-building workshop, birding hikes, a celebration at Sardeson Preserve, and the kickoff of this year's Evenings Afield series. Explore them all on our Events page!
Restoration in Action Join a DALC workday! New volunteers are always welcome. No experience is necessary to make a huge difference to the native habitats of the Driftess. This Saturday, March 26th, from 9 - 12, we're hosting a pop-up workday to clear brush at Bloomfield Prairie. Find more details and get in touch here. In addition, on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of the month, 10 - 2, join site steward Fil Sanna at Spring Valley Preserve in New Glarus to continue habitat improvement on the savanna. The next workday will be April 2nd. RSVP by visiting our volunteer page.
Notes From the Field Spring has sprung - even with the snowflakes I saw this morning! We are gearing up for a busy year, with lots on offer to connect people to the land and to each other in our Driftless home. We are also reconnecting with all the landowners of conservation easements that we protect (we do this at least once per year), and working with several new landowners to protect land in Iowa, Sauk, Green and Richland counties. Does that sound like a lot? It is! So we are growing our team. Please send good folks our way - we always post open positions on our website and we currently have THREE openings! I wish you all the best as we continue to navigate uncertain times, and take solice in the consistent cycles of nature - happy spring! Jen Filipiak Executive Director jennifer@driftlessconservancy.org