May News & Updates

Welcoming Katie Cervenka

Please join us in welcoming the newest member of the DALC team: Katie Cervenka, Communications & Development Associate!

Katie joins us from the University of Wisconsin - Madison, where she studied wildlife ecology and life sciences communication, with a minor in environmental studies. Katie also served as an intern with the Ice Age Trail Alliance and is a member of their young professionals cohort, Trailblazers! You can find more details about Katie on our staff page.

An Amazing Spring Social

What an unforgettable day we shared on May 1st at our 25th anniversary Spring Social! With nearly 400 people in attendance at the beautiful Wintergreen property we are working to protect, we were amazed, humbled, and inspired by the support of our wonderful DALC community. This event was a celebration of community, legacy, and the landscape we all cherish. It reminded us of a simple truth: none of this happens without you.

Looking for even more inspiration? Read three impactful speeches from the Spring Social here.

2025 Land Conservation Leadership Award Winners

We are so thrilled to share that the Cates family has won Gathering Waters' 2025 Land Legacy Award! This award recognizes those whose extraordinary generosity and leadership has significantly benefited land conservation in Wisconsin. With their dedication to sustainable farming, land care, community leadership, and sharing their knowledge, it's no surprise to us that the Cates family has been honored with this award! Read more about the Land Conservation Leadership Awards here.

No Houses Here - this Land is for the Birds!

For the first time since 2012, the Perry-Primrose Bird Conservation Area in Dane County has a new addition! Thanks to Dane County's Conservation Fund, the Wisconsin DNR's Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program, the Bobolink Foundation, and a willing seller, DALC purchased 83 acres that will forever be protected as wildlife habitat. This new addition had subdivided lots for at least three home sites on rare prairie remnants, so swift acquisition was urgently needed to prevent development. DALC will own and manage this site in collaboration with our Southern Driftless Grasslands partners, particularly the DNR.

Evenings Afield: Bats Bouncing Back

On Thursday, June 26th, from 6:30pm-8:30pm at Taliesin, join us to learn about local bats, citizen monitoring, white-nose syndrome research in Wisconsin, and how you can help. Big brown bats and tricolored bats that hibernate on the Taliesin property have been monitored for 10 years. We will offer a tour of underground sites following the indoor presentation. Stick around after sunset to observe, count, and listen to bats emerging from summer roosts. Registration is limited, so sign up today!

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: 6/7, 6/21

• Sundays at Sardeson: 3rd Sundays of the month. Upcoming dates: 6/15

• Wednesdays at the Wetland: 1st Wednesdays of the month. Upcoming dates: 6/4

• Driftless Trail Trimmers: 1st Sundays of the month. Upcoming dates: 6/1

• Driftless Trail Diggers: 3rd Fridays of the month. Upcoming dates: 6/20

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

Notes From the Field

with Emilee Martell

Is there any month that changes our Midwest landscapes as dramatically as May? When I look at photos I took just four weeks ago, the trees were still bare and the understory plants were just tiny sprouts. Today, leaves are rustling in the wind, the grass is knee-high, flowers bloom everywhere, and the whole world is green and lush. It feels almost miraculous. But of course this incredible blossoming, these tremendous changes, are a result of months of sap flowing, roots spreading, buds forming - careful preparation for a sudden explosion of growth.

Hm, what does that remind me of? 

When I joined DALC in October 2021, it felt like we were just emerging from a difficult winter - the global upheaval from the pandemic. Although challenges continued, from the ongoing threat of Covid-19 to unprecedented political turmoil, DALC carried on with deliberate yet exciting growth: building our team, creating a new strategic plan, opening Driftless Trail segments, increasing our fundraising capacity - all thanks to the unwavering support of our community.

And now, in 2025, this steady flow of work has exploded into a geyser! We have the chance to purchase Wintergreen, an amazing natural resource and community asset. There are tremendously exciting conservation easements in the pipeline to protect vital landscapes. We're building amazing new segments of the Driftless Trail and our volunteer program is growing by leaps and bounds. Despite the uncertainty of federal funding, we are successfully securing unprecedented grant opportunities to hugely expand land protection and stewardship in our region. Our team continues to grow (welcome Katie!) and our capacity expands every day to introduce more people to the wonder of the Driftless.

This is truly springtime for DALC: a season of thrilling growth and abundance - and a season of change. It's bittersweet for me to share that this is my final Notes from the Field. When I moved away from the Driftless and back to my hometown in the St. Croix Valley about a year ago, I was grateful for the opportunity to remain with this amazing organization in a remote position. Now, though, it's time for me to fully focus my energies in my home region. Katie will be taking over my communication duties, and is already doing an amazing job! 

Working at a land trust was my lifelong dream when I joined DALC, and being part of such a passionate, ambitious, vibrant organization has been profound. I've grown so much during my time here. Everything I've learned about stewardship, communications, fundraising, and, most importantly, saving land, I'm already putting to good use in the St. Croix Valley!

I miss the bluffs and trout streams and oak savannas of the Driftless. I will miss the talent, dedication, and warmth of the wonderful team at DALC. But I will always be a part of this community, supporting the vital work of conservation, cheering on our staff and board, and doing what I can for the land that connects us all. Some part of me will always remain in the Driftless; in some part of me it will always be springtime.

Thanks for everything!

Emilee Martell

Communications Specialist