(Workday report 2: April 25 Garfoot Creek)
By Topf Wells

I usually start these reports with the report before thanking folks but Pam Allen, the landowner on Garfoot Creek, gets pride of place today.  Her easement is probably the oldest DNR easement in the Black Earth Creek watershed.  She takes great care of her creek, welcomes anglers, and, as a member of the Black Earth Creek Watershed Association, is an advocate for the entire watershed.  As a high school teacher, she introduces many students to conservation and sustainable agriculture.  She is a shining example of both with her management of her farm and cattle.  Today’s project was to clear brush so the DNR can re-build the fence along the creek and an important pasture.  Grass fed beef and a protected trout stream are the ultimate goals of today’s project.  She is also an extremely gracious and generous host, providing a spread of pastries, including apple fritters, and beverages, including chocolate milk.  Folks agreed that the combination of apple fritters and pork sticks was the best SWTU breakfast ever.  Finally she ran her tractor all morning to move brush to its final resting place.

We sure tried to return the favors.  About 20 of us finished clearing the fence line.  DNR Crew, you’re up next.  Just about every work day I think oh, the honeysuckle can’t get much worse.  Don’t bet against honeysuckle.  It was thick and old with its frequent neighbors, buckthorn and grape vines.  I was once in a fancy restaurant where they proudly noted they grilled their meats over grape vines.  They could have grilled a steer over the grapevines “harvested” today.  We also had to cut and haul some box elders intruding on the fence line.

Today was just flat out hard work with sawyers, brush cutters, clippers, haulers, and sprayers.  Pam still has a couple of piles to haul and that was after 3 hours of steady tractoring.  The weather was great and so far I’ve only found one tick.  It was luxuriating in the spot I had sprayed the most.  Hmm.

W e had a wonderful mix of folks with veterans and some new folks.  A special shout out to Sam, the founder of the Edgewood High School Fishing Club, and his associate Evan.  Sam thinks the club should provide community service and conservation in addition to fishing knowledge and experience.  Way to go, Sam and Edgewood.  Grace returned as one of our sawyers.  She and all the sawyers were relentless in the face of the tangles.  Just don’t call her Amazing Grace; she’s heard that about 6,000 times.  Thanks also to many Board Members who showed up.  Actually, huge thanks to everyone; this was a tough and great day.

Kyle Oliverncia, our Dane County DNR fish biologist, worked all morning with us.  That would be praise and thanks worthy any Saturday but Kyle is in the middle of his spring lake surveys.  Heavy work, especially with nets, and nocturnal.  He has just completed a stretch of 11 out of 12 days and nights on the water.  SWTU is really, really lucky to have him as our biologist.

Jim Hess organized another productive and safe day and manhandled a brush saw all morning.  Jim, our most heartfelt appreciation.

Please join Jim, many of us, and members of the Nohr Chapter for our next work day.  NO honeysuckle!  We’ll plant oaks at the DNR’s Smith Conley restoration.  The holes will be dug.  We’ll put the cherry on top of a superb restoration that we started with three work days and supported with a $12,000 donation.  So check out what our donation of time and treasure  have wrought.  The date is Saturday, May 16.  Details coming soon.

(Photos courtesy Dyan Lesnik.)

Future Workdays (Detailed info will be provided later):

• Saturday, May 16 – Smith Conley Creek – planting trees, 2800 Cty Rd H, Barneveld
• Saturday, May 30 – Big Spring Branch – clearing invasives, 5465 Big Spring Rd, Town of Highland
• Tuesday, June 9 – Duerst Property – working with professional STIHL sawyers clearing large box elders, 7309 Riverside Rd