Chippewa County Land Conservancy: Joas Park Nature Preserve

The following blog post was taken from the Chippewa County Land Conservancy 2011 Newsletter.

If you had been traveling from Eau Claire to the wilds of Chippewa County at the beginning of the last century, you might have taken the “Interurban” towards Chippewa Falls, stopping short at Stafford’s Crossing. The trip would have cost 14¢, and from there you might have continued your trek on foot going northwest toward the countryside southwest of Chippewa Falls.

If you had taken that trek, you’d have passed through what is now the Joas Park Nature Preserve. After a short walk to an overlook, the trail you’d be following would have descended into an enchanted valley to cross a trout stream and continue on through a dry oak woods to the farms that lay beyond.

That young traveler might well have been unaware of the ownership of this parcel of land, and it would probably not have occurred to him to care much. As it turns out, the land has been in the family of Joe Joas since 1906, when his uncle C. J. Zeitinger acquired it in trade for a grist mill in Fond du Lac. He sold it to Joe’s father the following year, and Joe became the owner in 1959. In November, 2010, Joe Joas sold the property in a sale/donation arrangement to CCLC.Funding for the purchase came from Chippewa County’s Stewardship Fund.

The property, which is crossed by Misty Creek, hasn’t changed much from the days of our turn-of-the-century traveler, and now the public can forever traverse the paths to enjoy this pristine enchanted island located at the north edge of the Village of Lake Hallie.

Despite its proximity to the urban area, the site has been never developed, isolated by both topography and railroads bordering it on two sides. In fact, that lack of access delayed the acquisition of this property for a decade while the former owner and the CCLC tried to figure out a way to obtain legal public access.

The solution came in the acquisition of the former Canadian National RR by the DNR and City of Chippewa Falls for a recreational trail. While not the most direct access, and not open via motorized vehicles, the property is now legally accessible to the public. As a bonus, its location along the future bike trail will provide a destination for bicycle riders to stop and enjoy, for exploration, study, or a picnic stop.

In the decade of exploring acquisition of this property, CCLC has gotten a chance to learn a lot about its assets, including surveys, appraisals, and biological inventories. In addition to the dry woods and trout stream, it includes ponds and marshes, ravines, steep hillsides, and seeps. This variety of habitats, along with its protected location, makes it an excellent location for a wide variety of plant and animal species.

Despite its natural appearance, some tree planting has occurred over the years, including a series of red and white pine plantings along the southwest property line in 1948 and 1949-1955 in honor of the Wisconsin state centennial, and in the ravine along CTH J. The family used to cut oak firewood from the property years ago, and a relatively small open field has been rented to farmers.

But for Joe Joas, it was always a place to go for a walk to enjoy nature. He attributes his longevity to the walks he has taken there over the years. His wish is for the property to continue to be enjoyed by the public for nature walks for many years to come.

We hope Joe has many years to continue his treks through the Joas Preserve on what has been named the Zeitinger Trail, named after the uncle that started the legacy back in 1906.

Food, drinks, hiking, and land trusts: Is there a better way to spend a Saturday?

Each year, as we welcome another glorious Wisconsin spring, we invite you to our annual Land Legacy Gathering. This event is a celebration of the incredible impact that Wisconsin land trusts have on local communities, as well as all the ways those communities (you!) make it possible for us to continue Wisconsin’s incredible land legacy. It’s a celebration of the ways we are all making a difference, advancing the land trust movement locally and statewide.

To make this year’s event extra special, we are partnering with land trusts throughout the northwest region of the state. Our 2014 co-hosts are the Chippewa County Land Conservancy (CCLC) and the Ice Age Trail Alliance (IATA). These two land trusts played a huge role in the protection of the Krank Nature Preserve (the beautiful location of this year’s event) through their collaborative efforts with a pair of landowners (Bernard & Beverly Krank), the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and the National Park Service.

Chippewa County Land Conservancy’s mission is to preserve the scenic quality, rural character and natural landscape of Chippewa county. The Ice Age Trail Alliance’s mission is create, support and protect a thousand-mile footpath tracing Ice Age formations across Wisconsin- the Ice Age National Scenic Trail.  Because of these two land trusts’ hard work, dedication and collaboration, the Krank Nature Preserve is just one of many special places that will remain an undeveloped part of Wisconsin’s heritage, forever.

Additional partners for this event are other land trusts that protect special places in Northwest Wisconsin, helping to grow healthy communities throughout the region:

• Bayfield Regional Conservancy‘s mission is to protect the natural lands, waters, forests, farms and places of scenic, historic, and spiritual value in the Bayfield Region.
• Kinnickinnic River Land Trust‘s mission is to work with the community to protect the natural resources and scenic beauty of the Kinnickinnic River watershed.
• North Central Conservancy Trust‘s mission is to protect, worthy scenic, working lands and environmental resources for the benefit of the people of central Wisconsin.
• Standing Cedars Community Land Trust‘s mission is to establish a farm and river greenway that can demonstrate a model for protecting and restoring field and forest, and supporting community life along the lower St. Croix River.
• The Conservation Fund‘s mission is to save land for future generations.
• The Prairie Enthusiasts‘s mission is to ensure the perpetuation and recovery of prairie, oak savanna, and other associated ecosystems of the Upper Midwest through protection, management, restoration, and education.
• Trust for Public Land‘s mission is to bring land to people.
• West Wisconsin Land Trust‘s mission is to promote land conservation of family farms, forests, wetlands, rivers, lake shores, bluffs and prairies in Wisconsin.

  Let’s gather to grow the community of people protecting the places that make Wisconsin special!

More information about this event is available on our website. Space is limited, so if you’re interested in attending, please be sure to RSVP by April 28. We hope you’ll make plans to join us as we gather to grow the community of people protecting the places that make Wisconsin special.

The Year at Faville Grove

The Madison Audubon Society, a Wisconsin land trust, offers lucky individuals a unique opportunity to gain experience caring for and managing the land through its Land Steward position. Land Stewards supervise intern field crew, monitor and manage habitat restorations, identify and control invasive species, collect native species, conduct prescribed burns, coordinate volunteer work events, lead field trips and outreach events, prepare and manage grants, monitor conservation easements, record sanctuary phenology and more.

We recently found an article in Madison Audubon Society’s Spring 2014 newsletter written by one of these land stewards- Matt Weber, from the Faville Grove Sanctuary. Here are his favorite memories from the job during 2013:

• Hearing whip-poor-wills calling in the Lake Mills Ledge.
• Seeing the short-eared owls return to the Crawfish River floodplain (Martin, Tillotson, and Charles prairies) after a couple years without their presence.
• Watching a doe find her fawn out in the prairie to nurse.
• Discovering two new native species on the sanctuary – Prairie parsley (a threatened species in Wisconsin) and grape honeysuckle.
• Confirming that Eastern Prairie White-Fringed Orchids (on the state endangered species list) are recovering on Snapper and Faville Prairie State Natural Areas after flooding and drought damaged the populations.
• Collecting 15 pounds of spiderwort seed in the north Lake Mills Ledge Uplands.
• Conducting our first-ever summer burn and watching the prairie recover with several species flowering late into September and October including spiderwort, compass plant, prairie dock, sawtooth sunflower, ironwood, rattlesnake master, and prairie blazing star.
• Collecting 139 native species with 48 individual volunteers and 354 volunteer hours (not including groups).

What a rewarding job and such a thoughtful and inspiring reflection on the joys of being a land steward!

Thank you to Madison Audubon Society for sharing this reflection in your newsletter!

The Climate Corner

The Climate Corner is a monthly column of the Peninsula Pulse, featuring a variety of writers from around the state and Door County, addressing various aspects of the challenges and opportunities climate change presents. Our Executive Director Mike Strigel recently wrote an article for the column, discussing the ways that land trusts are addressing this critical topic. You can read the full article here, or catch some of the highlights below:

In all that they do, land trusts must look to the future, constantly planning for the changes that may affect the health of the land under their stewardship and may alter its value to the community. Whether the change is caused by development in the area, an increasing population, or by the significant warming of average air and water temperatures that is occurring today, land trusts have to be prepared to manage their obligations to the land and the community effectively – in perpetuity.

Across the country more land trusts are including climate change in their strategic planning. Emerging research is helping to identify land that will be critical as our world changes. In some places land trusts are creating natural corridors to allow for plant and animal migration as changing habitat conditions force species to move in order to survive.

In coastal areas, land trusts are setting aside wetland and shore land buffers in ways that will protect against erosion and improve water quality in the event of more frequent and higher intensity precipitation or drought. In other cases, land trusts are restoring habitats with more climate resilient native species, as is critical in places such as working forests where a forest suffering from a change in climatic conditions could lead to the loss of not only habitat, but also of jobs. In addition, many land trust projects provide much needed carbon sequestration by preserving forests, helping to offset carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels.

Beyond these direct activities, land trusts are well-positioned to provide a forum for discussion and dialogue on issues such as climate change. The staff, boards of directors and members of local land trusts are politically diverse, but united by their commitment to a healthy environment through conservation. They represent a cross-section of the community. Business leaders, farmers, elected officials, and concerned citizens come together at land trust meetings and events to talk about what is most important for the places they all care about regardless of political affiliation. As a convener of civic leaders, land trusts can help to move climate change out of the partisan divide by focusing attention on how land conservation can help communities adapt to and lessen the impacts of a changing climate.

Communities thrive when they come together to define and actively confront challenges. Wisconsin land trusts have the opportunity to play a key role in meeting the challenges of climate change in Wisconsin. We already admire land trusts for the many ways they enrich our communities. Helping to mitigate the effects of a changing climate on our lands and waters is yet another reason to appreciate and support their work here on the Door Peninsula.

Linked to the Land

We love to see land trusts across the state developing new and exciting partnerships to meet the needs of the communities they serve. One recent example is Mississippi Valley Conservancy’s (MVC) partnership with the Mayo Clinic Health System. Mayo is sponsoring “Linked to the Land,” a series of hikes given by MVC, designed to get people outside.

“This series offers a wide variety of outdoor events that provide an opportunity to experience the wonder and excitement of our region’s natural resources on the lands that have been permanently protected by MVC and its partners,” says Carol Abrahamzon, MVC executive director.

“The Linked to the Land hikes are an excellent way to add physical activity and fun to your lifestyle, as well as to learn about the wonders of the Driftless Area,” says Jonathan Rigden, M.D. “Mayo Clinic Health System – Franciscan Healthcare, supports our community’s efforts to promote healthy living. Plenty of physical activity, good eating habits, and stress reduction are the key.”

If you are interested in checking out this exciting new series, here are the remaining 2014 dates:

Apr. 27 – Earth Fair Hike – Miller Bluff, La Crosse Bluffland

May 10 – Mother’s Day Bird Identification Hike – Sugar Creek Bluff, Crawford County, 8-10 a.m.

May 17 – Birds & Brunch at Boscobel Bluffs

Jun. 15 - Father’s Day Hike - Seldom Seen Farm, Gays Mills

Jul. 26 - River Bluff Day’s Hike - Sugar Creek Bluff, Ferryville

Aug. 16 - Prairie Flower Hike - Holland Sand Prairie, Town of Holland

Sept. 13 - FSPA Stargazing Hike, St. Joseph Ridge Garden Tour 5:30 p.m. Hike 6:30 p.m. Stargazing 8 p.m.

Oct. 11 - Family Fall Hike - MacGregor property, Grant County

Nov. 8 - Tree Identification Hike - Angel Bluff, Buffalo County

Dec. 30 - Holiday Break Hike - Mathy Quarry at 2 p.m.

For more information, visit MVC’s website.

Stories of Stewardship: Students of the Land

“Stories of Stewardship” is a special blog series that tells the stories of Wisconsin citizens whose lives and communities have benefited from the land conservation made possible through the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program- a program so valuable, we at Gathering Waters work hard to ensure it remains well funded.

The following story was written by Roger Packard and David Musolf, of Jefferson County:

We might as well admit up front that we are addicted to ecological restoration. Fanatics. Bitten by the ‘prairie bug’ in a big way. With us, Leopold met his objective and then some.

Meeting the first part of Leopold’s objective—learning to see the land—was the hardest. Even though we have both been nature nuts all our lives, it took time and effort to see the big picture—to see beyond the rectangular grid imposed on the land by European settlers, to look under the pastoral façade and through the tangled mess of non-native vegetation where the farm fields ended. But once our eyes adjusted, myriad clues that had been hidden in plain view came into focus.

Reading these clues backwards in time, we began to understand how changing land use practices since the time of European settlement have altered native biological communities, and how, following the retreat of the glaciers, these diverse communities arose under the influence of fire, water and wind, as well as the influence the new plant and animal inhabitants, including humans.

As for enjoyment—well, we couldn’t help that. To begin to understand how the area’s diverse biological communities developed is a real thrill. To begin using this understanding to restore the landscape that the Native Americans knew is more thrilling still. So, with our first six acres of prairie restoration in 1994, the positive feedback loop was in place. The developing restorations helped us to see the land and its inhabitants more clearly, our understanding of the land deepened, our enjoyment of the land increased, we took on more restorations…and before we knew it, we were hooked.

In 1997, we joined forces with the Madison Audubon Society to establish the Faville Grove Sanctuary. Together with Madison Audubon, we have protected our land through conservation easements. With the help of the state Stewardship Fund as well as various other governmental programs and private contributions, we have permanently protected a total of 510 acres. Together with other landowners, including the University of Wisconsin- Madison and The Nature Conservancy, we are managing over 800 acres within the Faville Grove Sanctuary boundary.

With a corps of dedicated volunteers, we have planted well over 200 acres of prairie by hand with hand-collected, local genotype seed from over 130 species. With crews of summer interns, we have eliminated a gazillion weeds. We have filled miles of drainage ditches (not by hand!), cleared acres of savanna of encroaching brush, and generally worked every spare minute to return the sanctuary lands to their pre-European-settlement grandeur.

Recently, together with a small army of sanctuary supporters, we accomplished something generally deemed impossible: we succeeded in rerouting a proposed electric transmission line that would have run through the sanctuary. In rejecting the ‘sanctuary route’ for the line, the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin considered not only the ecological and aesthetic effects on the sanctuary, but the chilling effect the line would have had on future cooperative efforts to protect and restore private land in the state. The Public Service Commission decision underscores the importance of such efforts, and should reassure other landowners that the state will honor the sacrifices we make to protect the land.

In the 1930s and ‘40s, Aldo Leopold and his students worked with landowners in Faville Grove to develop methods to enhance wildlife on private lands. Leopold recognized then that conservation is “eventually too large, too complex, or too widely dispersed to be performed by government.” We suspect he also knew that by teaching students to see, to understand, and to enjoy the land, he would get them hooked on bringing the land back to life.

Building on Leopold’s legacy, Madison Audubon Society established the Faville Grove Sanctuary to protect the area and extend habitat for remnant populations of rare and endangered species. The sanctuary includes tamarack bog, sedge meadow, oak savanna and woods, as well as some of the state’s finest wet prairie restorations. Nearly $500,000 in grants from the Stewardship Fund have helped make possible the protection of this diverse and historic landscape.

20 Years Strong

Can you believe it? We’ve been strengthening Wisconsin’s land trusts for 20 years now! That’s right, it’s our 20th Anniversary.  We can’t think of a better time to reflect upon how we arrived at where we are today and the successes we’ve had along the way….

Here is a snapshot of some of the achievements we are most proud of, since our founding in 1994:

• The number of land trusts working in Wisconsin has increased from 12 to over 50

• The membership of Wisconsin’s land trusts has grown to nearly 55,000 members statewide

• These land trusts have permanently protected well over 280,000 acres of Wisconsin’s natural heritage

• We have successfully advocated for funding increases for the state’s renowned land conservation program, the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program, and for the passage of the Working Lands Initiative

• We have become a respected voice for private land conservation in the state and have earned our reputation as the premier land trust service center in the nation
  

  Together we protect special places, where youth discover the magic of the outdoors for the first time.

But more meaningful is the resulting impact of those acres conserved, organizations and collaborations established, and contacts made. Together with our land trust members, partners, and supporters, we are helping to protect the special places where we can all go to exercise and recreate, that protect our local food base and agricultural economy, where youth are discovering the magic of the outdoors for the first time, and that are home to our most precious resources and threatened species.

Thank you, from all of us at GWC, for supporting us and the land trusts that we serve! None of this would have been possible without your support. But our work is not finished. Please consider becoming a monthly donor, to help ensure that you and your loved ones will always be able to enjoy all the benefits of Wisconsin’s outdoors.

New and Improved

As we celebrate our twentieth anniversary this year, we look back at all we’ve accomplished. It makes us proud. And it makes us even more excited to begin the implementation of our new and improved Strategic Plan.  If you’d like to take a look at the plan, you can find a copy on our website. Otherwise, the 3 overarching themes of the plan are below. Either way, we’d love your feedback!

1) We make Wisconsin’s land trusts stronger

Our core objective, since the beginning, has been to strengthen Wisconsin’s land trusts. Our new strategic plan is a reaffirmation of that core objective. Through this plan, we seek to understand how that objective affects everything we do. We are only successful when land trusts see value in, and are strengthened by our programming.

2) Collaboration is critical

This plan also brings to the forefront the importance of collaborations. Land trusts are demanding opportunities to collaborate-with each other and with other partners. In the past we have, and will continue to, promote collaboration through networking, shared trainings, and facilitation of joint programming. We will explore opportunities to more smartly deploy land trust resources through the pursuit of economies of scale, shared back offices, and mergers. We will also engage outside partners – traditional and nontraditional - who can be allies in our work.

3) Community engagement is key

Finally, as land trusts exist to provide value to communities through land conservation, we will increase opportunities to share the stories of the value that land trusts bring to creating healthy and whole communities. We will also explore opportunities to increase the impact and value of our work by better understanding community needs and examining how our core competencies may provide even more value to our land trust members and Wisconsin’s citizenry.

We’re excited about where we are headed and believe it will provide more value to land trusts, the communities they serve across Wisconsin, and of course - you! Your support is what makes this work possible; Thank you!

2014: An Exciting, New Year

Hopefully your 2014 is off to an excellent start…. We at Gathering Waters are definitely looking forward to all that this new year has to offer— we’re launching our new and improved three-year strategic plan and it’s our 20^th anniversary!

Here’s an overview of the great things we have planned this year:

In the public policy & advocacy arena:

• Education, education, education! With the state budget coming up a year from now and the Gubernatorial election set for this fall, we’ll be working hard to make sure legislators know exactly how important it is that the Knowles Nelson Stewardship Program remains strong and that the Gubernatorial candidates are keenly aware of the important role land conservation and land trusts play in their communities.

• Partnerships. The Healing Our Waters – Great Lakes Coalition  is accomplishing such great things, we’ll definitely continue working with them to ensure that local, state and federal officials continue to make Great Lakes restoration a priority.

Providing direct services & technical assistance:

• Staying true. True to our core objective that is- to strengthen Wisconsin’s land trusts, ensuring that they have the resources, tools, and know-how to meet community needs and protect the places that make Wisconsin so special.

• At their service. Since it’s proven to be so valuable to land trusts, we’ll definitely continue our Land Trust Excellence & Advancement Program, offering trainings that have been customized to land trusts’ needs.

• More partnerships. We will we bring land trusts together to create efficiencies through shared staff, pooled resources, and joint funding opportunities. We’ll also continue our work with the Lake Michigan Shorelands Alliance to help identify, protect, restore and manage lands that protect the water quality, wildlife habitats, and the scenic integrity of Wisconsin’s Lake Michigan Basin.

• Retreat! Our annual Land Trust Retreat this October will offer an unparalleled opportunity for learning, networking, and fun among land trust peers and conservation experts from around the state.

Spreading the good word:

• Turn up the volume. You may not realize the extent of the value your local land trust brings to you and your loved ones. We’re going to do a better job of making sure you know.
• Put it in writing. This fall, in honor of the twenty years we have been working to strengthen land trusts, we will be publishing a collection of stories, highlighting the many ways land trusts benefit Wisconsin’s collective health, economy and education.
• Let’s Party! Our annual Land Conservation Leadership Awards Celebration is happening September 26th. It’s definitely the place to be if you’re interested in Wisconsin land conservation. And on May 3rd, we’ll be honoring you and others who make it possible for us to continue Wisconsin’s incredible land legacy, at our annual Land Legacy Gathering. Better save the dates and grab your party shoes.

As you can see, it’s going to be an incredible, busy year.  We’re looking forward to it and appreciate all of the feedback and help we can get. Feel free to shoot us an email with your thoughts or support the work we’re doing with a tax-deductible gift.  Cheers, to this wonderful new year!

Years in the Making

Local land trusts are in the business of conservation in perpetuity so by their nature they must practice patience, and have compassion for the land AND the people in order to meet their missions successfully. We’re pleased to share just one example of this type of patience and compassion to kick off our year.