The Annual Newsletter of the Chiwaukee Prairie Preservation Fund
November 2000
The Annual Newsletter of the Chiwaukee Prairie Preservation Fund
November 2000
“In the end, our society will be
defined
not only by what we create
but by what we refuse to destroy.”
John Sawhill
FIRST THE
GOOD NEWS:
The year 2000 has brought a bumper crop of land purchases for
both Chiwaukee South and Chiwaukee North.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources hired Ron Novak
back from retirement to work exclusively on land acquisition for Chiwaukee North. He too
has been very successful this year with a total of 30 lots purchased and more then 14 in
the pipeline.
WE REPEAT
OUR PROMISE: WITH YOUR HELP WE WILL CONTINUE UNTIL THE LAST PIECE HAS BEEN
PRESERVED.
OUR GIFT TO
YOU THIS YEAR
THE GRANT
REQUEST TO HELP us purchase a DR-mower was turned down. However, with your help we
did raise our half, $1,400. We are currently looking for a match grant donor. The mower is
needed to cut firebreak paths and help control exotics.
It’s a workhorse machine that will make management much easier and more
efficient.
OUR ONCE A
YEAR REQUEST COMES to you in this newsletter to ask for your renewals and donations.
We feel certain that you appreciate receiving only one appeal letter from us each year. We
appreciate writing only one letter a year!
WE ARE GRATEFUL
FOR YOUR GENEROSITY AND CAN’T THANK YOU ENOUGH!
YOU ARE
INVITED TO JOIN THE BLAZING STARS. With a first time gift of $100 or more you will
receive a Blazing—star print suitable for framing and especially designed for us by
Bernice Rosen. You will also receive an invitation to attend two special hikes, one in the
spring and one in the fall.
BLAZING-STAR
NEMEERS WHO RENEW their $100 membership this year will receive a whole packet of Bernice
Rosen’s, spring flower note cards as well as an invitations to attend two hikes for
Blazing Star members, one in spring and another one in the fall.
YOU ARE INVITED
TO BECOME A LIFE MEMBER BY GIVING A GIFT OF $500. For this gift you will receive a
Certificate of Honor and a Blazing—star print. You will also be invited to the
special spring and fall hikes.
CHIWAUKEE
SOUTH - WORK SCHEDULE continues to be the
third Saturday each month from 10:00am until 2:00pm. Meet at 121st St. and Second Ave.
ALL WE NEED IS YOU TO HELP! BRING A
LUNCH AND WEAR OLD CLOTHES. WE HAVE TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT TO GET THE JOB DONE.
WORK DAYS IN
NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER WILL BE HELD AT THE BARNES PRAIRIE.
Meet at 121st Street and Second Ave and we will caravan to Barnes.
There is always a
variety of tasks to do such as remove sweet clover, garlic, purple loosestrife and Queen
Anne’s lace.
We cut brush,
take down trees and burn the brush in the winter when the prairie is covered with snow. In
the spring or fall we burn parts of the prairie to encourage —the plants. Our
volunteers are invited to help with burns on other preserves around the state.
We also collect
seeds, monitor insects, mammals and orchids. In June we have breakfast on the prairie and
in September we have a cookout lunch. It has often been said by us, “There’s
always something happening on the prairie.
THE FOURTH
ANNUAL PICNIC on Sept. 23rd was successful in spite of two days of rain beforehand.
Twenty-four volunteers enjoyed each other’s company as they walked across the prairie
picking seeds. Quan Banh took the seeds home with him and said he would set them out to
dry before storing them for the winter. The cookout was held under the shelter at the park
in Unit One. A BIG THANK YOU TO THE CPPF BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR THEIR DELICIOUS DONATIONS
AND HELP!
Photo by Faith Bushnell
Volunteers counting orchids on the prairie.
A BIG THANK
YOU TO RAJON CONSTRUCTION of Kenosha for the chipper, truck and helping hands as our
volunteers cleared the Barnes Prairie of brush. They will be doing it again this November
and December. Thanks Bill Koenes!
A BIG THANK YOU TO PHEASANT RUN for
taking the many truck loads of chips at no cost to the prairie. Please come around in the
springtime and watch the prairie bloom. Thanks Mike Infusino!
MANY THANKS
TO JIM MAJOR
For his efforts
to protect the Sand Dunes located at the north end of Chiwaukee North. He has enlisted the
assistance of others:
Marilyn Ford and
Raul Villareal, to name a few. They continue to help with the task of keeping it clean and
free of those individuals who would run wild over the vegetation and destroy this place
that so many enjoy for its peace and quiet. We are most grateful to you Jim, Raul and
Marilyn!
A NEW ORCHID WAS
DISCOVERED growing on the
prairie last spring by Stewardship South Chair, Marcia Wensing. It is the NORTHERN GREEN
ORCHID (Habenaria hyperborea). It has a green or yellow green flower and blooms May
- July. The nine different orchids found on the prairie are one of the many reasons why
prairie lovers think Chiwaukee is a jewel among prairies.
A SLIDE
PROGRAM ON THE PRAIRIE has
been prepared by Bruce Sedloff for presentation to any local clubs or groups that are
interested. All honorariums are used to buy land at the prairie. In Kenosha call Bruce at
262.942.0803. In Racine call Joan Rohan 262.634.5245
THE WILD FIRE
IN MARCH on Chiwaukee
South resulted in the best show of spring flowers that has been seen since the last hot
fire went through about 13 years ago. Fire, especially a hot one, is like a shot of
vitamins for the true prairie plants. The heat releases nutrients into the soil and the
plant roots pick it up, thus helping the plants bloom and grow more then they would have
otherwise.
THE SMART
COYOTES AND FOXES on the
prairie were most likely looking for a place to hide or quickly moving out of the way when
they saw a wolf dog trotting through the yards of prairie neighbors and friends. Were you
one of the lucky people who saw her? The prairie has been known to attract some
interesting visitors.
CPPF BOARD OF
DIRECTORS 2000
Joan Rohan,
President 262.634.5245
Gus Hauser, Vice-President 262.694.3631
Eric Howe, Treasurer
Bruce Sedloff, Secretary 262.942.0803
Renate Hauser, Corresponding Secretary
Richard Barloga, Naturalist
Floyd Catchpole, Public Relations
Tom Becker, Stewardship North
Marcia Wensing, Stewardship South
Donna
Peterson, C.S. Land Acquisition
Joan Angelo, Barnes Land Acquisition
Dawn Feldman-Brown, Hike Coordinator
Phil Sander, Historian
Irene Yerdon, Fundraising
Gary Zumach, Membership
ADVISORS:
Quan Banh, Dick
Christiansen, Heather Patti, Steve Richter, Susan Tragesser
To John Sawhill
(1936-2000
Reflecting
on the sudden death of the President of The Nature Conservancy these words are very
apropos.
Because
I could not stop for Death-
kindly stopped for me-
The Carriage held but just Ourselves-
And Immortality.
Emily Dickinson