Spring 1998: Page 4

Love the lakes?

It's time to

Take a Stake in the Lakes

Take a Stake in the Lakes, the volunteer cleanup of the Yahara Lakes sponsored by the Dane County Lakes and Watershed Commission, is a great opportunity for you to help care for these popular natural resources.

The 1998 Take A Stake in the Lakes Schedule is:

Lakes Mendota and Kegonsa, Saturday, June 6, 8:00-noon

Lakes Monona and Waubesa, Saturday, June 13, 8:00-noon

Here's How You Can Take a Stake in the Lakes:

Collect aquatic debris and trash from the shoreline and shallow waters of your favorite beach. Garbage bags are provided.
Stencil storm drains with "Dump No Waste; Drains to Lake" messages.
Dane County Public Works barges will collect shoreline trash and aquatic debris from the piers of shoreline residents on the Monday after their lakes' scheduled cleanup.
SCUBA dives will be done when the water is still relatively clear, from mid-May through early June.
Come to Tenney Park on June 6 or Olbrich Park on June 13 to help clean the beaches, get information about protecting our water resources, and to see "Droplet," the Dane County Lakes and Watershed Commission mascot.

If you or your group would like to get involved, call Louise Goldstein at 246-5366

You Can Help Make a Home for

Birds, Butterflies, Insects and Small Animals!

Have Fun and Plant a Prairie

With Lots of Other Youth Groups and Families at

May Flower Day

Saturday, May 16, 1998

1:00-3:00

Lake Farm County Park

We provide the wildflowers, you bring your energy

Wildflowers are grown by volunteers from seeds collected by volunteers

(maybe you even collected the seeds yourself)

To register call Louise Goldstein at 246-5366

news05.jpg (62909 bytes)
Bid & Bill Schlotthauer pile brush they cut
at Indian Lake Park

1998 Seed Cleaning Report

One hundred and twenty-eight species of seeds were collected and cleaned, producing 331 pounds of clean seed, 154 pounds of partially clean seed and 37 pounds of grass seed. These seeds are valued at roughly $50,000, based on the cost of purchasing seeds. The value is less than last year's because the cost of purchasing many of the species has declined over the last year.

Some specific details: cleaning resulted in almost two pounds of New England Aster and more than one pound of Azure Aster. Three 50-gallon trash bags filled with pods yielded 45 pounds of White Indigo and one pound of Cream Indigo. Other yields: 11 pounds of Pale Purple Coneflower, more than seven pounds of Shooting Star (at 60,000 seeds per ounce!), and two pounds of Culver's Root (800,000 seeds per ounce).

For the third consecutive year, the National Park Service has granted Dane County Parks $5,000 for seeds for the prairie restoration in the Ice Age Trail Junction Area.

[ Dane County Home Page ] [ Adult Conservation Team Home Page ] [ ACTION Newsletter ]