NATURAL AREAS & PARKS
Lake Farm Park: Field work led by volunteer Natural Areas Manager Mary Tremaine on January 30, February 27 and March 20, 9:30-noon. Meet at the entrance to the boat launch parking lot. From the Beltline, exit at South Towne Rd. and head south; left on Moorland, left on Libby.
Ice Age Trail Junction Area: Field work with the Dane County Chapter of the Ice Age Park & Trail Foundation on Saturday, April 24, 9:00-3:00. Come for the day or stay as long as you can. Be a part of creating what will be one of the last large pieces of open space between Madison and Verona. A project in the Upper Sugar River Watershed.
Seed cleaning: This is fun, but dusty and noisy work. It’s an important part of our natural areas restoration program. We use a chipper-shredder, fanning mills and other ingenious devices to separate seeds from seed heads and other chaff. If you have allergies or any respiratory problems, please volunteer for something else. You may sign up for morning and/or afternoon shifts. This is indoor work at the Parks Department on Robertson Rd.
All workdays are 9:00-12:00 and 12:30-3:30 (January 19 begins at 10:30), every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in January.
Prairie Plant Propagators: We’re growing plants to transplant at Lake Farm Park during May Flower Day, 2000. This is indoor work at the Parks Department on Robertson Rd. Thursday, February 4: 9:00-noon, fill flats and prep work; 1:00-4:00, sow seeds in the flats.
Attention Dog Park Users (Human Variety): Mark your calendars for the fourth annual dog park spring cleanup. Saturday, April 10 is the day to pitch in at the off-leash pet exercise areas at Indian Lake, Token Creek, Prairie Moraine (a.k.a. Tower), Viking and Yahara Heights Show up between 9:00 a.m. and noon and bring a scooper or shovel; garbage bags will be provided. Crew leaders are needed for each site; if you want to help with this event, call Louise at 246-5366 or Kadi Row at 251-1793. Dog owners are reminded that all animal waste must be picked up, even off-trail. Dog parks have special waste containers strategically placed for your convenience. Please use them! We all thank you.
Earth Day: If your group is interested in doing a project to mark Earth Day (any time around April 22), consider a park cleanup or join the field work in the Ice Age Trail Junction Area on April 17 and April 24, cutting brush along the Ice Age Trail. Other projects may also be available; call for details. |
OTHER OPPORTUNITIES
The WHA Garden Expo will be held at the Dane County Expo Center on February 19 from 4:00-8:00, February 20 from 9:00-5:00 and February 21 from 10:00-5:00. This is a beautiful and enjoyable event at a time of year when we are all a little desperate for the smell of spring. We would love you to help staff our exhibit, which features Dane County Parks and the Adult Conservation Team. If you are outgoing, enjoy talking to complete strangers, and feel that you can enthusiastically talk about Dane County Parks with the public, consider signing up for a two-three hour shift. We will give you resource materials so you’re not completely on your own, as well as a pass to get in to the event and a parking pass. DON’T DELAY: this project fills up very quickly and we can take only a limited number of volunteers. Do you want to help but prefer indoor work to hacking honeysuckle? You can come in on a regular basis and help with data entry and other office work. Experience with computers, especially Microsoft Access, would be great but we will train. Come join our congenial office!
Take a Stake in the Lakes 1999
 June 12: Lakes Monona and Waubesa, 9:00-1:00. Visit us at the MSCR Outdoor Recreation Fair at Olbrich Park.
June 19: Lakes Mendota and Kegonsa, 9:00-1:00. You’ll find us at the Jazz in the Park Lake Wingra Cleanup at Knickerbocker Park off Monroe St.
Take a Stake in the Lakes is the annual lakes cleanup, sponsored by the Dane County Lakes and Watershed Commission, that promotes awareness of the public’s role in the health of the Yahara lakes. It is a great way for neighborhood associations, professional associations, recreational and environmental groups and others to take your stake in the lakes that make Madison and Dane County such a special place. Here's how you can participate:
- “Adopt” a shoreline, beach or boat launch area to clean up.
- Be a sponsor and donate prizes, equipment, cash or services.
- Publicize the event in your organization newsletter.
For information about Take a Stake in the Lakes, contact Louise Goldstein at 246-5366. |
