SWTU, P.O. Box 45555, Madison, WI 53744-5555 president@swtu.org

SWTU Workday: December 4, 2021 – Williams-Barneveld Creek

workday

 Join us for our last stream workday of the year!

Saturday, December 4 from 9 a.m. to Noon (with a site tour available afterwards)
3095 Mounds View Rd., Barneveld

Time: 9am to 12 noon (Chapter Approved Sawyers please arrive at 8:30).

Where: Williams-Barneveld Creek, 3095 Mounds View Rd, Barneveld. For people coming from Madison, go west on US 151 to Mounds View Rd, which intersects US 151 five miles west of Mt Horeb. For those of you coming from the west, it is 2 miles east of Barneveld. Take Mounds View Rd south for 3.3 miles to a small parking lot on the east side of the road. There is a tricky turn in the road at Prairie Grove Rd. If you have a navigator, enter 3095 Mounds View Rd, Barneveld. Here is a Google Map link:
https://goo.gl/maps/GjS7MwjpJfSn7ug98

Parking: The parking lot is small, so plan to park along the east side of the road. It is always safer to park on the same side where we will be working.

What: This will be joint workday with The Prairie Enthusiasts Empire-Sauk Chapter and the Harry and Laura Nohr TU Chapter. We will be working in a 103-acre prairie unit, called Shea Prairie, within the Mounds View Grassland Preserve owned and managed by The Prairie Enthusiasts. Rich Henderson, land steward and Vice Chair of the Empire-Sauk Chapter will be leading this workday.

We will be clearing non-native invasive willows and some box elders along the stream corridor. There will be some chainsaw work, but mostly using lobbers to cut and treat smaller willows. It is critical that we treat every willow we cut. The willows should be cut at 2” above the ground. Bring waders or hip boots as we will be working on both sides of the stream. Otherwise, there is a pedestrian bridge.

Bring: Bring work gloves, sturdy shoes, and eye and ear protection. Also bring reusable water bottles that can be filled from our 5-gal water jug. Stay hydrated. Masks are not required.

Note: It is respectfully requested that anyone who is not vaccinated against COVID-19, please do not attend our workdays. We recognize the pandemic is causing stress and uncertainty and that people have widely differing opinions about the vaccine. We also know that we have a responsibility to provide as safe a workday event as we can. Thank you.

The Williams-Barneveld Branch is a great little trout stream in an extraordinary setting – almost 600 acres owned and managed by The Prairie Enthusiasts. For 25 years, TPE has preserved remnant prairies and savannas at this site while recreating prairies and wetlands. Most of the section of stream we’ll work on was dramatically improved via a comprehensive floodplain restoration. Much  of the topsoil that had washed into the stream corridor was removed; you’ll be seeing a Driftless Area stream that probably looks and functions as much as possible like  a trout stream before European farming practices triggered the erosion of topsoil into the valleys. Rich will offer a tour of the entire property after the workday and tell us about some exciting prospects for this and neighboring lands. The entire parcel is open to fishing, hunting, birding and hiking.

This will be our last workday for the year
Thanks to everyone who participated in our spring and fall workdays, helping to make 2021 one of our more successful years. So far,126 volunteers have participated in our workdays – clearing invasive woodies, planting trees, clearing streams to make them more accessible, and providing a healthier habitat for the fishery and environment.

– Jim Hess, SWTU Conservation Chair, SWTU President