Celebrating Sardeson
Thank you to everyone who came out to clear rocks from the Sardeson Forest Preserve parking lot! Your helping hands made a huge difference as we continue work on this site. And now, we'd like to invite you to the Sardeson Trail Opening Celebration on Wednesday, June 1st, 4:30 - 6:30! Join us for a poetry hike and a celebration of Roland Sardeson, who donated this preserve to us when he passed away in 2016. Find more details here.
DALC Welcomes Conservation Director We're incredibly excited to have Stephanie Judge joining the DALC team as our new Conservation Director! Stephanie comes to DALC after almost 15 years with The Nature Conservancy, and brings a wealth of experience in land protection, conservation easements, and habitat restoration. Learn more about Stephanie and join us in welcoming her to DALC!
Volunteer Highlight: Erin Schneider and the Poetry of Place A poet, farmer, and longtime Driftless conservationist, Erin Schneider loves connecting people with the land. As part of a project linking poets with land trusts, Erin has been writing poems about the unique beauty of DALC's protected lands. Read all about her work on our Community Highlights page - and hear her poem for Sardeson Forest Preserve in-person at our Sardeson Trail Opening Celebration!
Evenings Afield: Signs of Early Driftless Life Signs of early Indigenous cultures abound throughout northern Iowa County and the Lower Wisconsin Riverway. Join local experts on a farm in Spring Green as they bring history to life on June 23, 2022, 6-8PM! Registration is available here. Can't make it in June? Don't worry - Evenings Afield is held every month! Check out the roster for the rest of the summer here.
Notes From the Field It's been a big spring for celebrations! Earlier this month, we headed out to Ringelstetter Wetland for an evening of gratitude. It was fantastic to be there with the former landowners, who were caring stewards of this property for many years, as well as the donors and supporters who helped make their conservation legacy permanent. And in less than a week, we'll be celebrating a similar story - that of Roland Sardeson, whose generous donation of the land he cherished will continue to shape his community long beyond his lifetime. This will also be a time to celebrate the volunteers, donors, and community members who made it possible for DALC to accept and care for this wonderful preserve. With new life all around us, spring feels like the perfect time to be celebrating so much love for the land. We hope you have lots to celebrate this spring too! Emilee Martell Development Associate emilee@driftlessconservancy.org