Dec 2006 CAWS Newsletter Madison Audubon Society

8/9/2019 Dec 2006 CAWS Newsletter Madison Audubon Society

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Since its establishment in 1998, FavilleGrove Sanctuary has grown remark-ably. With the recent purchase of the80-acre Deppe farm, the sanctuary nowencompasses 510 acres. In addition,Madison Audubon Society is workingcooperatively with the UW Arboretum,the UW-Madison Zoology Museum,and The Nature Conservancy as well asprivate landowners to manage another300 acres within the sanctuary boundary,

bringing the total acreage under activeconservation management to over 800.

In case youre keeping track, thats morethan a quarter acre per MAS member!And that doesnt include Goose PondSanctuary, Erstad Prairie, Otsego Marshor Hope Lake Bog. Nor does it includethe more than 2,000 acres that MAS hasprotected and transferred to DNR and

Jefferson County.If you live on a quarter-acre lot, think

about what it takes to manage thatamount of land, and youll begin to getan idea of the magnitude of the projectthat this organization has taken onandthe level of commitment that we needfrom each and every member to makeour sanctuaries effort a success over thelong haul. In addition to the costs of landacquisition, there are substantial costsassociated with restoration and long-termmanagement of our sanctuary lands.We each need to pitch in any way we

can, and to the greatest extent we are

able, by volunteering in the field or inthe office and/or by contributing finan-cially. We can all be proud of the systemof sanctuaries that MAS has establishedin south-central Wisconsin, but we eachneed to strengthen our support for theeffort substantially if we are to continueour successes.

Prairie RestorationEfforts at Goose Pond

Last December, the PheasantsForever Habitat Team planted 50species on 50 acres at Western Prairie.Additionally, the National Fish andWildlife Foundation awarded MASa $13,000 grant to purchase seed,augmenting seed hand-collected byvolunteers, for restoration of 100acres of prairie. The grant has to bematched with $13,000 of volunteertime (seed collecting and cleaning)

Madison Audubon is a chapter of the National Audubon Society

Faville Grove Grows But It Aint Easy!

222 S. Hamilton St. / Madison, WI 53703 / 255-2473 / www.madisonaudubon.org December 2006

Martins Given TrueSpirit of ConservationAwardBy Wisconsin Waterfowl AssociationExecutive Director Jeff Nania

The True Spirit of ConservationAward is given to a person- orpersons, in this case- that isprofessionally involved withconservation. This year the awardwent to Mark and Sue Martin ofArlington. Mark and Sue workfor the WDNR in the Bureau ofEndangered Resources, and Sueis also the Teaming with Wildlifecoordinator for the WisconsinWildlife Federation. Mark and Sue

have also been the resident managersat Goose Pond Sanctuary since1979. They have been a source ofinspiration to many, including me.They are tireless in their efforts andhave been responsible for protectingand restoring thousands of acresof the Wisconsin landscape. Markand Sue embody the true spirit ofconservation and dedication to ourpassions and traditions.

Also In This Issue

Wetland Restoration at GP . . . . p. 4Sanctuaries Highlight . . . . . .. . .p. 5Recipe: Pumpkin Cookies . . . . p. 5Notes from Faville Grove . . . . . p. 6Zeloski Marsh Restoration . . . . p. 7Duck Banding at GP . . . .. . . . . .p. 8Valuable Stewardship Fund . . . p. 9Martin Awarded . . . . . . . . . . .. .p. 10Dr R. Anderson Honored . . . . p. 10Thank Yous . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..p. 11Christmas Bird Counts . . . . . . .p. 12

S p e c i a l S a n c t u a r i e s I s s u e

continued on page 3


2/12December 20062The Audubon CAWS

New Years DaySunrise Field TripWake Me Up When 2006 isOver!Yes, 2006 was yet another tough

year for our beleaguered and belovedplanet Earth. In anticipation of bet-ter things to come in 07, slip into

your Long Johns and join us for theannual New Years Day sunrise fieldtrip at Faville Grove Sanctuary. Wewill meet at Buddys Place, the oldfarmstead at N7710 Hwy 89, at 6:55a.m. If there is good snow and youhave snowshoes, bring them along.Otherwise, sturdy boots for uneventerrain will do. We will enjoy the pre-dawn light as we meander throughthe prairie, arriving at the marshoverlook by 7:23 a.m. to see the sunrise over the Faville Grove Marsh.We will then spend the early morn-ing exploring the winter marsh andsurrounding uplands. From I-94, takethe Lake Mills/Waterloo exit and gonorth on Highway 89 about 2.5 miles.The driveway is on the right immedi-ately past North Shore Road, whichintersects from the left. Volunteersanctuary managers David Musolfand Roger Packard will lead the trip.

Little House on the PrairieOnce again, Madison Audubon Society

is looking for a good neighbor at FavilleGrove Sanctuary. We recently completedthe purchase of the 80-acre Deppe farm onPrairie Lane, and we will be looking for aconservation-minded buyer for the resi-dence, outbuildings, and approximatelythree acres of land. A modest split-levelhouse built in the early 1970s- (the only

house on Prairie Lane)- has commandingviews across the expanding sanctuary.You wont be dreaming when you wakeup every morning to sunrise over a vastexpanse of prairie and savannayoull justthink you are! Call the MAS office for moreinformation (608) 255-2473.

THE AUDUBON CAWS is publishedSeptember through June by:Madison Audubon Society,

222 S. Hamilton St., Madison, WI 53703,(608) 255-2473.

Birding hotline, 255-2476.Madison Audubon Web Page:http://madisonaudubon.org

E-mail: [email protected] services donated by Berbee

Annual Audubon Membership___New ___Renewal ___Gift

When you receive a renewal notice fromNational Audubon use this form to renew andthereby direct some of your donation to localcauses. Find your expiration date at the topright corner of your address label.

Name for Membership:

Name ______________________________

address _____________________________________________________________

PhoNe _____________________________

email______________________________

___$20 special First-year New Member

___$15 Senior or Student new or renewal

___$35 Renewal

__$40 Double Audubon Membership -

(New or Renew + Gift Membership)

___$15 CAWS newsletter subscription only

(Non-member)

Membership amount $_______

Additional contribution $_______TOTAL Enclosed/Charged $_______

Please make check payable to:Madison Audubon Society

Charge my __VISA __Master Card

Name on Card:

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exP. date __________________

sigNature __________________________

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National Audubon magazine.

___Business/Corporate Membership

Please call the MAS office 608/255-2473

This is a Gift Membership from:

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address ___________________________

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Z02 7xCH

Mail to: Madison Audubon Society

222 S. Hamilton St., Suite 1Madison, WI 53703-3201

The mission of the Madison AudubonSociety is to educate our members andthe public about the natural world andthe threats that natural systems are fac-ing, to engage in advocacy to preserveand protect these systems, and to devel-op and maintain sanctuaries to save andrestore natural habitat.

MADISON AUDUBON SOCIETYPresident: Joanne Herfel, 241-8009

Vice-president: Debra Weitzel, 836-4051Goose Pond Resident Managers:Mark and Sue Martin, 635-4160

Faville Grove Managers:Roger Packard & David MusolfEditor: Michael Becker, 265-9484

[email protected] design: Patrick Ready

Printed by Roemer Printing

Audubon Members - Renewal InstructionsWhen? Please renew when your renewal date is within a couple months,or when you receive a renewal reminder from National Audubon. You cancheck your CAWS address label for your renewal date (i.e. JUN06). Thismakes renewals simpler, and in the long run it will help cut down on paper.How? Renew your Audubon membership through Madison Audubon byusing the Membership Form in the CAWS or on the web athttp://madisonaudubon.org. Renewing through Madison Audubon directsyour money to local causes.Bonus! Please check Double Audubon Membership! when you renew.This includes an Audubon Gift Membership for only $5 more! What agreat opportunity to introduce Audubon to a friend, relative, student,

work buddy, neighbor, or teacher! Thank you for helping Double AudubonMembership, one member at a time!


3/12

and $13,000 of expenses by MAS (intern costs, planting, and purchase of plants).Volunteers, interns and Middleton High School students planted hundreds of shoot-

ing star, New Jersey tea, meadow blazing star, and prairie violet plugs purchased fromAgrecol and Bluestem Farm.

3 December 2006The Audubon CAWS

Goose Pond . . .continued from page 1

High School Students LearnEcological RestorationTechniquesUnder the direction of intern HeisleyLewison, four Middleton High Schoolstudents completed an independent

study in ecological restoration this pastsummer. Joe Hasan, Liz Just, MeganMcCrumb, and Natalie Reece earned asemester credit by spending one day perweek, June through August, plantingwetland plants, removing invasivespecies, surveying prairie plants,looking for an endangered butterfly,collecting seed, and having fun. TeacherDebra Weitzel hopes to continue thispartnership with Madison AudubonSociety again next summer.

Help Needed withNest-box Projects Eagle Scouts constructed andplaced Wood Duck and AmericanKestrel nest boxes at Goose Pond.Additionally, Middleton High Schoolstudents and volunteer Jerry Martinconstructed tree swallow nest boxesthat will be placed at Goose Pond andZeloski Marsh.

Monitoring in 2005 revealed nine suc-cessful Wood Duck nests72 hatchedeggsin 16 nest boxes. Of the 10American Kestrel boxes, seven supportednests with young.If you would like to help with monitor-

ing and maintaining nest boxes this yearcontact Mark or Sue at (608) 635-4160 [email protected].

Middleton students Natalie Reece, Liz

Just, Megan McCrumb, and Joe Hasan

Heisley Lewison, conducted most of the weed mowing this summer and assisted on a

plant survey in August. Plants in 50 plots, each 2.5 square feet, were counted. The results

were exciting, revealing almost 3.3 million prairie plants, from 27 species. Seventeen spe-

cies were observed flowering, and the wild quinine, in particular, had a lot of flowering

individuals.

This fall, volunteers have been busy collecting seed for planting 60 more acres

on part of the Western Prairie parcel. They gathered an impressive amount of

compass plant seed, with the NFWF grant. We plan to have Pheasants Forever

plant the restoration in December.

photobyDorothyHa

ines

photobyMarkMartin


4/124 December 2006The Audubon Caws

Wetland Restorationat Goose Pond Many years ago, Dennis Biddickof the USDA-Natural ResourcesConservation Service designed afour-acre wetland restoration forGoose Pond. In addition to providingwildlife habitat, the restoration, tobe located north of Kampen Roadand west of the railroad tracks, was

intended to also trap sediment beforeit entered Goose Pond. The projectcould not be completed, however,until MAS acquired an adjacentparcel that would have a quarter-acreof water on it.The adjacent property was acquired,

and the Wisconsin Waterfowl Associationcoordinated the wetland restoration inearly 2006. Jeff Nania, WWA executivedirector, coordinated the project andLMS Construction did the earth-movingwork, which included construction of anearthen berm and two deeper wetland

basins along with the placement of awater control structure.The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

donated the water control structureand WWA secured the remaining fund-ing. This is the fourth wetland restora-tion project that WWA, Jeff, and LMSConstruction have completed at GoosePond.Goose Pond summer intern Heisley

Lewiston coordinated the planting of

hundreds of river bulrush, softstembulrush, arrowhead, bluejoint grass, andcordgrass plugs in the restoration. Shewas assisted by Middleton High Schoolstudents and other summer interns. Twomonths after planting, dense beds of

bulrushes and arrowheads ringed thewetland basins.

The rst waterfowl sighted onthe restoration were a dozen WoodDucksan impressive sight.

Four acre wetland restoration with rock spillway and two wetland basins shortly

after restoration.

Dorothy (Browne) Haines and Mark Martin try out the new bench on Browne

Prairie. The bench was made by local Eagle Scouts this summer.

October scope day

at Goose Pond was

well attended by both

people and birds.

p

hotobyPatReady


5/125The Audubon Caws December 2006

SanctuariesHighlight of the Year The highlight of the year was a flockof 41 American Avocets sighted onApril 22. There are few sighting of avo-cets in Wisconsin, and most flocks con-sist of only a few birds. Other interest-

ing or rare sightings this year included20 White Pelicans (which stoppedbriefly in April and left after findingGoose Pond fishless), a Snowy Owl inFebruary and Greater White-frontedGeese in spring. And for the first timeever, two pairs of Sandhill Cranes nest-ed at Goose Pond. The pair on the westpond raised two young while the pairon the east pond was unsuccessful. Fora list of past years highlights, pleasesee page 12.

Migration Pumpkin CookiesThese cookies are best when eaten during the fall migration, after a harvestmoon has made the pumpkins in the garden perfect for this recipe!

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake cookies 12 to 14 minutes. Yields 26 cookies.

cup butter1 cups brown sugar, packed

2 large eggs1 cup cooked (or canned) pumpkin1 teaspoon vanilla1 teaspoon grated lemon peel1 teaspoon lemon juice2 cups sifted all-purpose flour3 teaspoons baking powder1 teaspoon salt1 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice teaspoon ginger1 cup coarsely chopped nuts

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir in pumpkin,

vanilla, lemon peel and juice. Resift flour with baking powder, salt and spice;blend into butter mixture. Stir in nuts. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto greased bak-ing sheets 2 inches apart.

To decorate: Spread cookies with butter cream frosting and make a face withcandy corn.

ph

otobyPatReady

Pelicans visited Goose Pond briefy in April.

photobyPatReady

photobyRichArmstrong

photo by Rich Armstrong

Two pair of sandhill cranes nested at

Goose Pond this summer.

A snowy owl was seen around the Goose Pond area in February.

On April 22 forty one American Avocets rested in the west pond to the delight of many birders.


6/12The Audubon Caws 6 December 2006

Notes from FavilleGrove: Flat isBeautifulFaville Grove Sanctuary encompasses

a tremendously diverse landscape, sup-porting a wide range of biotic communi-ties, each with its own beauty.The western portion of the sanctu-

ary includes glacial moraines withinterspersed wetlands. Here youll findeverything from tamarack bog to dryprairie to oak woodland, all with a soft,rolling beauty thats hard to miss.But turn east off County Highway G

onto Prairie Lane to enter the east partof the sanctuary, and you find yourselfheading downhill, past a second-yearprairie restoration on the Brandt tracton your right and the newly acquired

Deppe farm on the left. Continuing eastthrough the savanna, the road humpsup over the resistant quartzite of theLake Mills Ledge before droppingsteeply into the broad, flat expanse ofthe Crawfish River floodplain. And itsall boring after that, right?Wrong. The effect is exhilarating, at

least to Wisconsinites unaccustomed tosuch broad vistas. But theres more tothe floodplains beauty than open space.The first surveyors reported that theywere entering marsh at this point.

Aldo Leopold, John Curtis, StoughtonFaville, recognized it as wet prairie andappreciated its tremendous botanicaldiversity. In the boom years follow-ing World War II, it quickly turnedinto a botanic monoculture, as farmersditched, drained, and plowed the rich

bottomland soils.Today on the south side of the road

you will see a wet prairie restorationthat has seen three growing years. Onthe north is a cornfield that we plan torestore to wet prairie in the next few

years. Continue on down the road andyoull find more prairie restorations,some older, and one, the north 40 acresof Charles Prairie, which did superblyin its first year of growth.Stop your car and wander through any

one of these restorations and youll dis-cover something remarkable about theseflat prairies: Theyre not flat! Dependingon conditions, you may find yourselfwalking on dry ground one minute andin ankle deep water the next.

The plants, too, know that the ground isnot flat. These are by far our most diverserestorations. With the water table every-where flirting with the earths surface,imperceptible changes in elevation resultin dramatic changes in growing condi-tions. Even the microtopography smalldepressions and hummocks create var-

ied habitats. As a result, the plant assem-blages change continuously throughoutthe restorations in much the same waythat they do on Faville and Snapper prai-ries, the only two remnants of the former,

but recovering and increasingly beautifulCrawfish Prairie.

Caroline Clarin, an engineer with NRCS, with the tools of her trade. Caroline did a terrific

job designing and overseeing construction of the hydrologic restorations on CharlesPrairie.

Detail of the restoration plan

for this falls 40-acre wet-

land restoration at Faville

Grove showing the six-inch

elevation contours based on

extensive GPS data gathered

by the Natural Resources

Conservation Service. The

site may look flat, but its

not! Even though we use thisinformation to tailor our seed

mixes to soil conditions, this

is a blunt tool compared to

the sensitivity of the plants

themselves to differences in

moisture levels. We still rely

in large part on the low-tech

method of broadcasting seeds

of a wide variety of species

over the area, and waiting

patiently to see what grows

where.

(Courtesy of NRCS)



Zeloski MarshRestoration Update Madison Audubon Society movedahead on an opportunity to preserveand restore a large amount ofwildlife habitat west of Lake Mills inJefferson County. The acquisition andrestoration of the 1,461-acre Zeloski

Marsh was a major partnership effort.The USDAs Natural Resources

Conservation Services WetlandReserve Program providedfunding through the purchase ofa conservation easement on landowned by the Zeloskis, and alsopaid for wetland restoration costs.The Wisconsin DNRs StewardshipFund provided acquisition dollarsto MAS for the Zeloski property andalso provided a grant for restorationefforts. In January 2006, MAS donatedthe property to the DNR as anaddition to the Lake Mills WildlifeArea. However, MAS remainedinvolved with restoration efforts.

Restoration efforts have involvedplanting 286 acres of prairie, 270acres of sedge meadow, 112 acresof wetland habitat, and 64 acres ofshorebird habitat. Only 176 of the 800acres that will be covered by waterwere planted. Pheasants ForeverHabitat Team members planted 626 of

the acres and the remaining land wasplanted by Forest Enterprises, LakeMills.

In addition, Twin Garden Farms,from Harvard, Illinois, was hiredto chop and disk corn stalks. Wepurchased seed from Agrecol,Marshland Transplant AquaticNursery, and the DNR. Twin GardenFarms mowed the prairie and sedgemeadow plantings twice. Michler andBrown restoration company was hiredto remove invasive trees and to mix

and hand-collect seed. Seed collectedincluded 60 pounds of smartweedseed and a large quantity of bidensthat was planted in the shorebirdhabitat area. Bidens, a favorite foodof ducks, is the most difcult speciesto collect because each seed has twobarbs that penetrate clothing andprick the skin.

Caroline Clarin, USDA-NRCSagricultural engineer, prepared theplan and coordinated the effort

that included lling in two milesof ditches, disabling 12 miles ofdrainage tiles, constructing 3.5 milesof berms, placing water controlstructures in four wetland basins, andconstructing three islands totaling 15acres. Wondra Excavating, from IronRidge, was awarded the constructioncontract, and they completed their

work on Sept. 8.The muck farm had four deep

irrigation wells. Sams Well Drilling,from Randolph, which originallydrilled the wells, was hired toabandon three wells. RobertsIrrigation performed the neededplumbing work on the remaining

GPS equipped bulldozer and aerial view. Bottom 2 photos by Caroline Clarin

Artesian well plumbing and artestian

well outlet.


8/12

Banding at Goose Pond AidsBlue-winged Teal StudyThis past spring, Ron Gatti, research biologist for the

DNR, coordinated a duck-trapping project at GoosePond as part of a study to determine why Blue-wingedTeal numbers are declining in Wisconsin. Trapping sitesincluded the east pond on land owned by Rollie andLynn Manthe.In a letter dated Sept. 19, Gatti expressed his thanks to

Madison Audubon Society and the Manthes for allow-ing trapping on their properties. In the same letter, heprovided details on the purpose and success of trappingat Goose Pond.According to Gatti, Goose Pond actually resides out-

side of the main study area for the Blue-winged Tealproject. Bait-trapping was conducted at the sanctuaryto capture wild Blue-winged Teal hens that could beused as live decoys for trapping within the study areas.Captured hens were transported to the towns of Rutlandand Albion in Dane County, where they were releasedafter decoy trapping. All other ducks captured at GoosePond were given Fish and Wildlife Service bands and

released.Trapping took place from April 3 to May 4 at 15 sites,including Goose Pond, in three counties. Using traps

baited with barley (with the husks on), researchers cap-tured 181 ducks across all sites. Of these, 154, or about85 percent, were captured at Goose Pond. The final tallyfrom the Goose Pond traps was 39 Blue-winged Tealhens, 81 Blue-winged Teal drakes, 19 Green-wingedTeals, five Mallards, three Wood Ducks, five NorthernShovelers, and two Gadwalls.Gatti concluded that Goose Pond was the hot spot for

migrants and trapping, and he promised to report backon band recoveries.

8The Audubon Caws December 2006

artesian well. They laid 240 feet ofpipe, and water can now be directedinto one or two wetland restorations.

Suzanne Wade, UW Extension RockRiver Basin educator, and Greg Kidd,USDA-NRCS WRP Biologist, madelemonade out of lemons by makinggood use of a large pile of old claydrainage tiles. Suzanne successfullycoordinated tile pick up dayspeoplecame from as far away as Green Bay which resulted in reuse of morethan 2,000. Greg Kidd had a differentidea for the remaining tilesunderguidance from Bob Hay, DNRHerpetologist, the rest of the tiles wereburied as a large snake hibernaculum.

Suzanne Wade also did an excellentjob in establishing a monitoringproject. Bryan Huberty of Ecological

Restoration Services coordinated

monitoring of mammals, birds, frogs,dragon and damselies, and waterquality. Baseline monitoring beganwhen the land was cropped and willcontinue after the restoration.

Stan Druckenmiller and Jim Addisvolunteered to document restorationefforts with their digital cameras. Theyhave taken thousands of shots whichwill help provide a historical accountof the restoration.Charlie Kilian and Dan Weidert, DNR

Lake Mills wildlife staff, have beenbusy planting a six-acre food plot,seeding berms, burying the artesianpipes, posting the property boundary,and coordinating reclamation of agravel pit where extensive work wasdone by Glen Travnick Excavatingfrom Waterloo. Kilian and Weidert are

constructing a parking lot on Alley

Road and on London Road.Plans for next year include holding

a dedication, erecting Tree Swallowboxes, and planting showy lady-slipper orchids that were grown fromseed by Bluestem Farms. The GlacialDrumlin bike trail bisects the area andaccess roads are open for hiking. Wehope you get a chance to visit ZeloskiMarsh next year.

Thanks to everyone mentioned fortheir work and to Dennis Zeloski,former landowner, for his assistance;Alice Klink, USDA-NRCS AreaBiologist, for project supervision; andDavid Billing and Cindy Draeger atSolheim, Billing and Grimmer fortheir legal work. We look forward tothe successful restoration of ZeloskiMarsh and hope to one day see

Whooping Cranes nesting here.

photosbyMarkMartin

Zeloski Marsh . . . continued from page 7



Fund Valuable to Wisconsins Wildlifeand CitizensSince the inspired inception of the State Stewardship Fund in 1990 by the Wisconsin leg-

islature, a true partnership has sprung up among the states citizens; its many land trusts,including Madison Audubon; and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, whichadministers the fund. Our citizens understand and appreciate our exceptional natural heri-tage and believe in protecting it.The Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund, as it is officially known - plays a critical role in

protecting this natural heritage. Since 1990, the Fund has helped preserve more than 450,000acres across the state and has provided $50 million in grants to land trusts, which havematched the states investment dollar-for-dollar. This investment in our natural resources isof enormous value to land conservation, to wildlife, and to the people of Wisconsin; it is aninvestment that can only grow more valuable as our human population increases, especiallyin southern Wisconsin.Land Legacy Report to Guide Conservation Investments

To most effectively build upon Wisconsins investment in privately and publicly protectedlands and to fill critical conservation and recreation gaps, the DNR spent three years, from1999 to 2002, gathering information, local knowledge, and opinions about Wisconsins landand water. This effort resulted in a visionary document for the next 50 years: the WisconsinLand Legacy Report. Several main messages were heard again and again throughout theprocess. These were: Protect the best of the best. Our exceptional natural resources and wide range of native habi-

tats need to be protected for future generations to enjoy. Keep common species common. Many species that used to be common, especially grassland

birds such as meadowlarks and bobolinks, have been experiencing troubling declines. Promote partnerships. Our lands, waters, and habitats are affected by decisions made every

day throughout the state. Citizens want to work collaboratively - individually, throughorganizations, and via local governments - to maintain and protect Wisconsins naturalresources.

Keep kids and all of us connected to the outdoors.Our population is becoming increasinglyurbanized with the risk of losing direct connections to nature. We want to ensure thateveryone has access to the outdoors that is within reach.

Safeguard our waters. From the Great Lakes to our numerous lakes and streams to our wet-

lands and groundwater, we recognize that abundant and clean water is critical to us and towildlife, including a large percentage of rare species. The quality and quantity of our wateris also a vital component of our agriculture, industrial, and tourism economies.

Of the 229 places in the Land Legacy Report, one of the first chosen for implementation wasthe Glacial Heritage Area, which encompasses western Jefferson County and adjacent por-tions of Dane and Dodge counties. The primary goal of the project, which is being developed

by an advisory team, is to establish a coordinated network of conservation lands and recre-ation trails and facilities. Madison Audubons work at Faville Grove Sanctuary, Rose Lake,Zeloski Marsh, and other places is part of this larger project.Value of Fund to Madison Audubon The Stewardship Fund has been especially valuable to Madison Audubon in acquiring andrestoring properties at our Goose Pond and Faville Grove sanctuaries and at nearby areas. InNovember 1992, MAS was awarded the Stewardship Funds first Habitat Restoration Areas

Grant for acquisition at Goose Pond (see accompanying photo). All told, MAS has been ableto acquire 2,110 acres and restore 1,768 acres. This amounted to $2.5 million in Stewardshipfunding, which was matched by an equivalentamount from our many supporters, members,partners, and federal funding, such as theNorth American Wetland Conservation Actand the Wetland Reserve Program.Without the State Stewardship Fund and

the many partners that have come togetherbecause of it, MAS could not have protectedand restored all the land it has for wildlife andfor the citizens of Wisconsin.

Policy Victory:Expanded FederalTax Incentives

Great news for conservation! InAugust 2006, President Bush signeda new federal law including a sub-stantial expansion of the federal tax

incentives for conservation ease-ment donations.These incentives survived sev-

eral rounds of review and revisionwhile the bill made its way throughCongress. The new law:* Raises the deduction landownerscan take for donating a conservationeasement from 30 percent of theirincome in any year to 50 percent;* Allows qualifying farmers todeduct up to 100% of their income;and* Increases the number of years overwhich a donor can carry over thosedeductions from six to 16.Currently, this law applies only

to easements donated in 2006 and2007. The National Land TrustAlliance is spearheading a cam-paign to make the new incentivespermanent.The bill also includes sensible

reforms that affect the appraisal process for all donated property.

Landowners interested in donatinga conservation easement to MadisonAudubon Society may contact us at(608)-255-2473.Editors note: This story was used

by permission from GatheringWaters. Madison Audubon Societyis a member of Gathering Waters, aland conservation organizationthat assists landowners, land trustsand communities in their efforts toprotect Wisconsins land and waterresources. If you have questions

about how this law will affect you,contact Pam Foster Felt at (608) 251-9131 ext. 11 or visit the Land TrustAlliance website www.lta.org/pub-licpolicy.

State StewardshipMadison Audubon Spring BanquetSave the Date!Tuesday, March 20, 2007The keynote speaker for the 2007Madison Audubon Society Banquetwill be Laura Erickson.

In 1992 MAS receives money for

land acquisition and restoration.

photobyR.F.N.Wallen


10/12

Madison Audubon HonorsDr. Richard AndersonMadison Audubon Society presented

a life-time membership to Dr. RichardAnderson, UW professor emeritus

in pediatrics and psychiatry, on Oct.24, 2006, recognizing him for his life-long interest in artist and naturalist

John James Audubon. We honored Dr.Anderson for bringing our organizationsnamesake to public attention throughtalks and lectures about the man and hisart.Dr. Anderson became interested in

Audubon when an aunt died and lefthim several prints. Over the years hestudied Audubon and used every oppor-tunity to purchase his works, eventuallyacquiring a collection of 200 pieces. Hehas donated more than half of this col-lection to several locations on the UW-Madison campus, the UW Arboretum,and the Overture Center for the Arts.John James Audubon was a visionary

who foresaw a decline of wild placesand many species of plants and animalsthat live in them. In this context, heunderstood the importance of what hedid, while enduring many hardships anddifficulties to complete the task and get

his work published. Richard Andersonbelieves that Audubons example canbe an inspiration even today in bringingpeople to a sense of social and environ-mental responsibility, qualities that hefeels still resonate in the artists work.The event honoring Dr. Anderson

was held in the Department of SpecialCollections in the UW Memorial Library,where guests were treated to a rare lookat one of the four volumes of Audubonselephant folios, so called for their largesize.


Mark Martin Awarded theJohn T. Curtis Award

Mark Martin resident manager ofGoose Pond Sanctuary, was awardedthe John T. Curtis Award for CareerExcellence in Ecological Restorationby the UW Arboretum at an awardsceremony hosted by the Friends ofthe Arboretum on Oct. 11, 2006, at theArboretums McKay Center.

The Curtis award recognizesindividuals who have dedicatedtheir time, skills, and efforts to theadvancement of ecological restora-tion. Recipients of this award havemade major contributions to the the-ory, practice, or public awareness ofecological restoration in Wisconsin.In selecting Mark for this award,

presenter Linda Bochert noted, Thisnominee has demonstrated a continuing

career commitment to the ongoing prac-tices of ecosystem restoration and the useof partnerships with private or non-profitorganizations outside his DNR role toenhance his capacity to support ecologi-cal restoration work.A clip from the Arboretum

newsletter further explained thejudges rationale for selecting Mark:

Mark demonstrated qualities thataddress the signicant impact on thetheory, practice, or public awarenessof ecological restoration required forthis award[He also] demonstratedcontinuing professional developmentand scholarly contributions thathelped to advance the understandingof ecosystems and restoration work.

He eagerly and unselshly shareshis time and knowledge with others,including leading eld trips for theFriends of the Arboretum.The John T. Curtis award is named in

honor of the University of Wisconsinprofessor and author of a comprehen-sive study of ecology, The Vegetation ofWisconsin, published in 1959. The pre-sentation includes a $1,000 check and anengraved stone and glass sculpture.

Madison Audubon Societypresident Joanne Herfel commented

on the accolade, saying of Mark,He is a walking textbook with allkinds of information tucked awayin his brain. His information comesfrom his curiosity, which commandshim to study and observe all thatis around him. She added He isalways working for the environmentand all of the species that populatethis planet. We are so very fortunateto have Mark as one of our co-resident managershe has helpedthe Madison Audubon Societyachieve great things.Also receiving an award that eve-

ning were MAS volunteers, Tom andKathie Brock. The Brocks took homethe John Nolen Award for Excellence inEcological Restoration Practices for theirwork at Pleasant Valley Conservancy.

PhotobyMollyFifieldMurray

PhotobyBillAuthur

Dr. Richard Anderson addresses guests

at an event in his honor at UW Memorial

Library;


11/12

YES, I want to makeMadison Audubon Societysvision a reality. Here is mycontribution to the WildlifeSanctuaries Campaign.

[ ] Acre Maker. $2,000 or more to buy

and restore another acre of land.

[ ] Half-Acre Maker. $1000-$1.

[ ] Quarter-Acre Maker. $500-$.

[ ] Adopt An Acre. I pledge $100 a yearfor three years ($300 total) towardsanctuaries restoration.Here is my first installment.

[ ] Nest Egg. I pledge $50 a year forthree years($150 total). Here is myfirst installment.

[ ] My Own Vision. $ ____ to help asmuch as possible.

[ ] My Gift. $ ____ for MAS Program

Support (I.E. Education & Newsletter)Direct my gift to:

[ ] Where it will help the most

[ ] Endowment fund to restore andmaintain the sanctuaries

[ ] Land acquisition at Faville Grove

[ ] Land acquisition at Goose Pond

[ ] MAS Program Support

Name _________________________

address ______________________

In Memory of __________________

In Honor of ___________________

For Gifts Honoring Another: SendAcknowledgement to:

Name _________________________

address ______________________

______________________________

Contributions will be acknowledged nearthe Madison Information Board at GoosePond as follows: $1,000 or more-nameto appear on a permanent plaque; $250-

$-name to appear on engraved pav-ing brick.

[ ] Do not acknowledge in MadisonAudubon Society Newsletter

Make checks payable to:Madison Audubon Society

Mail to: Madison Audubon Society,222 S. Hamilton Street, Ste #1,Madison, WI 53703

Gift is tax deductible to the extent allowed

by law. Madison Audubon Societys financial

statement is available upon request.

We Can't Do ItWithout YouBy Gene Woehler, SanctuariesCommittee ChairAcquiring and restoring land and manag-

ing MAS sanctuaries takes a lot of workwith many partners. Heres a list of somewonderful people and organizations who

have given freely and generously of theirtime and resources to get the job done.There are so many of you, we apologizethat we cant mention everyones nameindividually.

Agrecol for providing prairie seed andplants at wholesale cost.

Tom and Kathie Brock and Curt Caslavkafor donating prairie seed.

Columbus, DeForest, and Windsor Scout

troops that picked up trash on roadsides,constructed and erected nest boxes, recon-structed the trail at Otsego Marsh, anderected benches and survey monuments.

William and Jean Damm for their invalu-able assistance, including repairingequipment and assisting with Eagle Scoutprojects.

Dorothy Haines and Gloria Welniak forproviding material for the information

board and for coordinating Scope Days atGoose Pond along with other volunteers.

Dane Landmark Cooperative for provid-ing seed corn for food plots.

DNR Bureau of Endangered Resources -Landowner Incentive Program for provid-ing funding to restore 35 acres of prairie atCharles Prairie.

Rollie and Lynn Manthe for providingstorage space in their new metal building.

Mounds Pet Food Warehouse and Jill and

Jerry Martin for providing bird seed.National Fish and Wildlife Foundation forproviding funds to purchase prairie seed.

NRCS Wetland Reserve Program staffCaroline Clarin and Alice Klink for coor-dinating wetland restorations at CharlesPrairie and Zeloski Marsh.

Photographers Jim Addis, RichardArmstrong, Stan Druckenmiller, and Dick

Jones.

Chuck Heikkinen, Delia Unson, BrandSmith and others for conducting birdsurveys and the pheasant brood count.

Summer interns and Middleton HighSchool students for restoration efforts.

Sanctuaries Committee members.MAS Board of

Directors

Volunteers who assisted with seed col-lecting, cleaning, and planting at CharlesPrairie (Faville Grove) and Goose Pond,especially students from UW-Madison,4-H students and Girl Scouts fromMadison, and high school students fromPardeeville, Poynette, and Princeton.

Volunteers who assisted with fund-rais-ing events and mailings;

Wisconsin Waterfowl Association andLMS construction for constructing thewetland restoration project at GoosePond.

Ricky Yelk for planting six acres of cornfood plots.

Donations made inOctober 2006

HALF-ACRE MAKERThomas S. Kemp Foundation

Marjorie McEntyre

MY OWN VISIONAnonymousThomas AshmanNancy and Christopher Gloe

James and Jan Spredemann

GIFTS IN HONOR OF A PERSONIn Honor of Dorothy Haines

Renata LuchtIn Honor of Elsie LapinskiAmelia Zarski

To honor Mark Martins receipt ofthe John T. Curtis Award for CareerExcellence in Ecological Restoration Wayne and Jackie Pauly

GIFTS IN MEMORY OF A FRIENDIn Memory of Buck Jim and Marci Hess

Jerry and Jill Martin



12/12

MAS Calendar at aGlance

SAVE THE DATE

Monday, Jan. 1, 2007Sunrise Field Trip at Faville Grove

Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2007MAS Education Open House

Tuesday, Mar. 20, 2007MAS Spring Banquet

Saturday, May 5, 2007MAS Art Fair

Member of

Past Years Sanctuary Highlights:2005 Great Gray Owl added to Goose Pond bird checklist2004 Acquisition of the 116-acre Northern Prairie at Goose Pond2003 Acquisition of 1,730 acres at Goose Pond, Rose Lake and Zeloski Marsh2002 Falling water levels at Goose Pond provided excellent shorebird habitat2001 Acquisition of three acres at Goose Pond and 140 acres at Faville Grove2000 Willy Hutchesons sighting of five species of geese at one time at Goose Pond,

before Cackling Geese were split from Canada Geese1999 Restoration of 25 acres of wetland and prairie at Faville Grove1998 Excellent growing year for prairie establishment and seed production1997 Snowy Owl invasion in January and February on Arlington Prairie1996 Highlight of the decade: Sandhill Cranes return to nest at Goose Pond after

100-year absence!1995 Establishment of Mary Muckenhirn Stewardship Endowment1994 Large numbers of waterfowl, pheasant and Gray Partridge broods1993 Record rainfall: 16 inches in June and July1992 Acquisition of 74 acres at Goose Pond1991 1,200 Snow Geese in fall at Goose Pond1990 30,000 Mallards using Otsego as staging area during migration

Anonymous Donation for Special ProjectsThanks to a $50,000 anonymous donation, parking lots have been constructed

at Erstad Prairie, Otsego Marsh and Goose Pond (Lapinski-Kitze Prairie andVera and Marshall Browne Prairie), and work has been conducted on theturn-around at the end of Prairie Lane at Goose Pond. We were also able toreconstruct a hiking trail and place a viewing blind and benches at OstegoMarsh. Benches were also placed at Goose Pond.We also used the generous donation to purchase a new mower for the tractor and

to pay for materials for Wood Duck and kestrel boxes. Additional projects funded by

this donation will include constructing and erecting informational signs. Eagle Scoutsassisted with the work at Otsego, benches at Goose Pond, and bird house projects.

Christmas Bird Counts, 2006Christmas Bird Counts are a great excuseto get outside this winter. By participat-ing, you can have fun and make animportant contribution to bird conser-vation at the same time. All the countscan use more volunteers. If there is oneyoud like to participate in, please contactthe coordinator as soon as possible, to

help them in their planning. CBCs in theMadison area include:Baraboo Thursday, Dec. 28,Scott Swengel, (608) 356-9543,[email protected]

Cooksville Monday, Jan. 1, 2007.David and Anna Marie Huset, (608) 882-5648, [email protected]

Madison Saturday, Dec. 16,Cheri Carbon, (608) 233-0024 home or695-0024 cell;[email protected]

Mt. Horeb Saturday, Dec. 30,Ken Wood, (608) 767-3343, [email protected]

Poynette Saturday, Dec. 30,Contact Mark and Sue Martin, (608) 635-4160, [email protected]

Sauk City Saturday, Dec. 30,Karl and Dorothy Legler, (608) 643-4926,[email protected]

Waterloo Tuesday, Dec. 19,Bob Domagalski, (262) 251-6259,

[email protected]

Photo by Dick Jones

"Wings Over the Goose Pond Homestead".

Documents

Dec 2006 CAWS Newsletter Madison Audubon Society