About 25-30 folks showed up at Deer Creek for our last work day of the year on November 15.

This part of Deer Creek flows out of some improved sections and is in pretty tough shape. It then joins Frye Feeder and forms Mt. Vernon Creek. This is another staging work day for Dane County’s more comprehensive restoration of this lowest part of the creek. The work will sound familiar – take out the dense understory of honeysuckle and small box elders so that a professional crew (Dane County’s in this case) can remove the large box elders and begin the hydrological restoration. Eventually, Deer Creek should be much healthier with more trout, best access, better habitat, and a stream corridor of prairie and wetlands, including some sedge meadows to be rejuvenated.

James Brodzeller, the County’s stream and wetland restoration specialist, described these prospects; Jim Hess and he then led an extremely productive day. At our break at about 10:20 he remarked that we had already accomplished what he had hoped to see for the day. So we worked harder and knocked off 30 minutes early with clear consciences.

And full stomachs. I had wondered if Dyan would bake her corn or blueberry muffins. She topped that with her corn muffins with blueberries. Goodness gracious. Pork sticks, brownies, energy bars, oranges and Jim’s excellent well water kept us stoked and hydrated.

We cleared hundreds of square feet of stream corridor. For all its issues with high eroding banks, Deer Creek looked pretty good. One could see enough gradient, gravel, and rock to be hopeful for its future.

Everyone worked hard and with good cheer. Again we had a great mix of newcomers and seasoned hands. We also ended another season without injury thanks to Jim’s cautions and the care all of us take. Way to go!

Several of our newcomers are interested in becoming sawyers. We can cover their training, usually with Dane County, but Jim and the Conservation Committee might want to consider whether a new and additional chainsaw would be helpful. The electric ones seem to be performing well. We might also need an electric brush saw. The honeysuckle at our previous day bested our current model.

Deer Creek and Donald Park are an important part of SWTU’s history for over 40 years. One of our volunteers described how his parents had been caretakers and residents of the Donald/Woodburn homestead for many years. He had some great stories about Delma Woodburn, the matriarch of the family, who lived well into her hundreds and inspired the family to work with Dane County to create the park.

Thanks to all. As far as I can tell, just about everyone who attended had a good time. Jim Hess makes all the good work and times possible. He deserves our most sincere thanks and a restful winter.

Photos courtesy Dyan Lesnik.