By Topf Wells

(see the end of this report for a thanks from the landowners!)

Indeed, another fabulously varied work day. The chief mission was to plant 70 swamp white and bur oaks along the newly completed DNR restoration on Smith Conley Creek on CTH H near Hollandale. Justin Haglund, the DNR fish biologist who designed the project, and Scott Harpold, Vince Schmitz, and Pat Gorman, the operations crew who refined and implemented the project, planned the day with Jim Hess. Justin and Lloyd Meng, his colleague on all fish matters, dug holes and had the trees, fencing, and other paraphernalia in place. The trees will provide shade and promote the growth of other desirable streamside vegetation. The first of many thank yous: that prep work makes tree planting fun, not drudgery. Read More

By Topf Wells

Twenty-seven SWTU and Nohr Chapter volunteers showed up for our work day at Big Spring. We finished cutting and treating willows and box elders. The DNR now takes over in the fall or spring with burns and other steps to restore native vegetation.

The skies were a bit overcast, the temperature moderate, and the breezes gentle and consistent. The willows were not so friendly. They grew in clumps with grasses, usually reed canary, covering the stumps that needed to be sprayed. Chain saws, brush saws, and loppers were the tools of choice but none made the task easier. Lots of bending. I’ll be practicing the stretches my physical therapist recommends. We stuck with it and the willows are gone, gone, gone. The bird nest and fledglings we discovered, however, are still there and in good shape when we left.

This is one of our most cooperative projects. Our TU partner has been our good friends in the Nohr Chapter. The DNR fish and wildlife managers have been coordinating efforts on a big swath of the public lands at Big Spring. Read More

(Workday Report 1: April 11 Yahara River)
By Topf Wells

That would be the SWTU work day on the Upper Yahara on Saturday morning, April 11.

About 20 SWTU volunteers and friends gathered to continue to clear invasive shrubs from the Upper Yahara corridor in DeForest.  We saw hordes of honeysuckle but once we cleared some we found thriving stands of buckthorn.  The discovery provoked an interesting discussion: which is the worse invader?  My vote is buckthorn because it can hurt.

B oth fell before the brush and chain saws of SWTU and were swiftly hauled and stumps sprayed by the rest of the team.  Greg Hall of the Village of DeForest worked with us and provided donuts, rides to and from the work site, heartfelt gratitude, and, most of all, the news that we could create as many unkempt, scattered brush piles as we wanted.  Greg and his team will consolidate and compress the piles with skidsteers later.  This is a bigger deal than it might sound.  Without having to haul to only a couple of piles and without the need for trimming and stomping, we could cut and treat more and faster. Read More