by DALC Staff | Aug 29, 2024 | Conservation, Land Protection, Preserves
In early August, 2024 we welcomed a brand-new Nature Preserve: Dragon Woods! This beautiful oak woodland in New Glarus is a cooperative project of DALC and the BadgerLand Foundation, which jointly co-manage the nearby Wild Oaks Preserve. We are grateful to the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program and Dane County’s Conservation Fund Grant Program for making this purchase possible. Find more details about Dragon Woods in the sidebar below, and read on for former landowner Alice Berlow’s reflections on this magical place.
About Dragon Woods
- Location: Near New Glarus, off of County Road U, is less than half a mile away from Wild Oaks Preserve.
- Size: 31 acres
- Land acknowledgement: According to Native Land Digital, Dragon Woods and the surrounding land was historically inhabited by the indigenous people of the Fox, Ho-Chunk, Sauk, Kickapoo, and more.
- Highlights: This lovely oak woodland has a resilient understory of native plants with limited invasive brush – historically common in the Driftless, but a rarity today! This ecosystem supports a wide diversity of birds and insects. In an area with increasing development pressure from nearby cities and towns, Dragon Woods adds another piece to a matrix of protected land, creating a vital corridor of sustainably managed habitat and green space.
- Visitor guidelines: This is a very recent acquisition, and we are working on signage, trails, and access considerations. Please keep an eye on DALC’s website, social media, and e-news for updates. If you are interested in hearing about volunteer opportunities, please contact Fil Sanna at filsanna@yahoo.com.
Here are three things to know about Dragon Woods:
- For eons, countless sentient beings, including animals and people I love, have walked these lands. And now, countless more, like you, will be able to enjoy Dragon Woods because Driftless Area Land Conservancy (DALC) is stewarding this land according to the organization’s three pillars: conserve, care, and connect.
- Every time you tread lightly here, you will never walk the same path twice. Every being you walk with, will always experience the land in their own unique ways. Let them.
- A dragon lives here, there’s no need to fear them. This dragon is generous, compassionate, adventurous, benevolent and is as curious about you, as you are about them. If you catch a glimmer of even their shadow, consider yourself lucky. Hold that gift close and share it with someone who’ll cherish it too.
And now here are somethings to know about me:
Selling these acres into permanent conservation was my only option because active, responsible land stewardship aligns with my core values.
The land ethic I live by was instilled and informed by my parents (Paul and Emy Gartzke, may their memories be a blessing). It’s one that is based in love for the beauty of this part of Wisconsin and being able to share it inclusively with the community. Holding onto these acres as a private owner had begun to feel selfish, entitled, and short-sighted. But now, with DALC’s permanent public access, many more people can enjoy the land, and I can always return to visit and appreciate the gift that was given to me and the gift it is now for you.
For me, conserving green spaces today in the Driftless is critical because of the rapid and encroaching building development of Madison, Fitchburg, and Verona. I grew up in the area and have seen how fast farmlands, waterways, and wooded lots are being turned into developments and large-scale industrial agricultural operations.
It’s important to me that people of all ages have access to green spaces in order to have the kinds of outdoor opportunities and experiences that I had. It’s here in Dragon Woods where my younger self wandered in exploration, physical activity, wonder, awe, curiosity, and connection.
That’s still what the outdoors does for me. These are places where I can get lost, turn off my phone, take deep breaths, dream, think clearly, amble shod or barefoot over the roots, through the grasses and on snowy trails. To feel how the air smells and listen to how light plays on any given day, in any given season over time.
Even though forever conservation was the clear path for me in this land transaction, it wasn’t always easy. But with time and grace, ease and excitement grew. DALC, with its stellar professional reputation and network, secured funds to help support the purchase of Dragon Woods. I’m very grateful to Wisconsin’s Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program, the Department of Natural Resources, and Dane County for their contributions. And, of course, to the board and staff at DALC, the BadgerLand Foundation, and all their collective supporters and community members who made this transfer possible, fair, and secure.
But by far, I am most grateful to my parents, who purchased this land in the 1960s and, in doing so, ended up paying it forward, as these parcels have turned out to be pivotal in DALC’s effort to create a green necklace in this area. Dragon Woods, I think, is a name worthy of such a pendant in a necklace of conservation.
And the mythical dragon of Dragon Woods? The story begins when the dragon was memorialized as a sculpture. A likeness and a gift handed down to me from my mom; they have the right to live in these woods forever, though they’re rarely, if ever, seen.
This dragon has many things to say–wisdom and stories to share about the land. About glaciers, constellations, fire, rust, footsteps, sledding, and climbing trees. Owls in hollows, mushrooms, moss and thorns, snakes in the grass, bats in roost, deer trails, lone fox, and circling red-tailed hawks. And there will be many more stories to come in many more shapes, sizes, and languages, only and all because of you and for you. That’s the true legacy of Dragon Woods.
Written by Alice Berlow (née Gartzke)
by DALC Staff | Aug 3, 2024 | Conservation, Land Protection, Preserves
Sometimes it’s easy to imagine that the best parts of nature are far away, hidden on high mountaintops or secret valleys, only reachable after a trek and a scramble. But our favorite wild places are often right in our own backyards – and having nature so close to us makes it that much easier to take the initiative to head out and care for it. That’s exactly what DALC has seen with Erickson Conservation Area.
Nestled within the village of Argyle, bordered by the high school on one side and the Pecatonica River on the other, Erickon’s 220 acres of wetland, prairie, and oak savanna has long been a fixture in the community. Volunteer Neale Tollakson says his history with the land goes back over 60 years.
“I used to come out here when I was 8, 9, 10 years old, birdwatching,” Neale describes. “The wetland, the sloughs, the river were places to go duck hunting.”
Interested in local history from a young age, Neale would also search for Native American artifacts. Nearby archeological sites like burial mounds and rock shelters show millennia of human use in these parts. Historic Argyle, an organization that Neale is a part of, is working on an updated history of the region including glacial records and information on the indigenous people of the area – stay tuned!
Neale wasn’t alone in his adventures out at Erickson. Community members would cross-country ski in winter, picnic under the shade of oak trees in the summer, and hike out along the railroad bed – the train stopped running around the 1930s. A series of farmers had rented the property, but periodic flooding made for poor crops. Neale recalls beef cattle grazing there and corn being planted in dry years, but gradually the unproductive fields were abandoned.
Then the land was purchased by Alex and Mary Erickson. Alex was an enthusiastic conservationist who planted tamaracks, swamp white oaks, and perennial shrubs to provide food for wildlife. “Seeing this land protected so that it will inspire kids and the Argyle community has always been a dream of Alex’s,” Mary shared.
That dream was realized in 2012, when Alex and Mary sold the land that would become Erickson Conservation Area to DALC in a generous bargain sale. The funding balance was made up by a grant from the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program .
A significant reason DALC decided to take the plunge and own a nature preserve was due to the steadfast support of the local community. From the start, Erickson has had a dedicated crew of volunteers carrying out projects and welcoming the community to explore this Ambassador Property.
Over the past twelve years, stewardship and access projects have ticked steadily along. An AmeriCorps crew built a boardwalk through the wetland. A kiosk was designed and installed. Trails were diligently mowed. A few areas that had still been in agriculture were planted into prairie, and prescribed fire returned to the landscape.
Today, with a strong foundation of stewardship in place, restoration is progressing rapidly.
Visitors might be surprised by some of the work. Intensive forestry clearing is planned across several units of the property, which will result in the removal of many native shrubs and stands of trees.
Opening up these areas will make for much more expansive vistas for hikers and skiers to admire. But that’s not the main reason for the work. “Visual line of sight goes beyond the visitor experience,” explains Zach Pacana, DALC’s Land Management Specialist. “If you’re a bird or an insect, you can’t necessarily see beyond a wall of trees,” so reducing density will allow animals to move more freely between areas of habitat. In addition, thinning shrubs and trees will create better conditions for prescribed fire, a vital tool for suppressing invasive species and encouraging native plants.
And behind the scenes, we’re ramping up even more.
“The changes that are happening are not always something you can see,” Neale notes. “There are changes in DALC – to obtain more funding, acquire more properties, hire more people, and get more work done.”
In 2012, Erickson was our first-ever Nature Preserve and one of the biggest, most challenging projects we had ever done. It was the start of something new – something that would never have been possible without the support of an incredible community. We’re so grateful for volunteers past and present (and future!) who care for this wonderful place, and make it possible for us to protect and steward more land across the Driftless.
by DALC Staff | Apr 3, 2024 | Conservation Easements, Land Protection, Legacy Society
Paul Klawiter and David Kopitzke
What are some ways to leave a positive, lasting impact on our world? Helping found a land trust is a pretty good one. So is a permanent conservation easement on private land with diverse native ecosystems. Joining DALC’s Legacy Society and supporting our future is another. And David Kopitzke and Paul Klawiter have done all three.
Their deep love and care for the Driftless began nearly fifty years ago. Paul grew up in Eau Claire, and David grew up in Indiana. They met at UW-Madison, and later David ended up in Milwaukee. But since they were both nature lovers, they wanted to live out in the country, and started searching for a spot. On field trips for his master’s degree in plant ecology, David had been out to Southwest Wisconsin. “I said, oh, that’s a pretty part of the state, let’s look there.”
And in 1974, they found the perfect place: fifty acres tucked into a steep valley in Richland County, part of a former farmstead. Over the years, they were able to add another thirty-plus acres. This land showcases nearly all the diversity of habitats the Driftless has to offer. It ranges from a small hilltop prairie to a wetland along a river bottom. There are warmer, drier south-facing slopes supporting oak and hickory, and cooler, shadier north-facing slopes supporting maple, basswood, and yellow birch, which is uncommon in this part of the state. A small spring flows into a trout stream that leads to a four-acre wetland, a later addition to the property. “That’s where we hear spring peepers,” David notes.
The wide range of native plants on the land was a great match for David’s skill in botanical illustration, as well as the native plant nursery he ran on the property for ten years, with woodland flowers growing under a big maple in the front yard. The old barn offered abundant hay for mulching their garden. In return, Paul and Dave worked to steward the land, especially by planting, tending, and protecting oaks. The combination of working full-time and owning a large property meant it was important to pick their battles when it came to restoration projects. But Paul still picked a big one: clearing out the black locust blanketing the hillside behind their house.
Originally found further south of our region, black locust trees are fast-growing and have been widely planted for erosion control. Unfortunately, they spread rapidly and form dense stands that crowd out native species. They also resprout from roots and cut stumps, making them very difficult to remove. But Paul’s arduous fight against the black locusts paid off – first with lots of firewood, and today with a young forest of diverse native trees where ephemeral wildflowers bloom in the spring.
While David and Paul were growing oaks and wildflowers, something new was growing all across Wisconsin: the land trust movement. Responding to increased suburban sprawl and loss of farmland, conservationists all over the state came together in the 80s and 90s to create organizations that could protect special places forever.
At the time, David was working for the DNR’s Bureau of Endangered Resources. In the late 90s, he was part of a group of conservationists brought together by Vicki Elkin, then the executive director of Gathering Waters, Wisconsin’s alliance for land trusts. David and others agreed that the Driftless Area needed protection. But who would provide it?
To the east of the Driftless, Groundswell Conservancy (originally the Dane County Natural Heritage Foundation) was founded in 1983, and on the river bluffs to the west, Mississippi Valley Conservancy was founded in 1997. But both organizations were too busy to expand into the heart of Wisconsin’s Driftless Area.
“So,” David says, “we bit the bullet and started a separate land trust.”
David credits DALC’s early success with board members who brought lots of diverse talents to the table. Eventually, the young organization hired its first staff member, started closing conservation easements, and kept growing, becoming nationally accredited in 2017.
“Accreditation is very important,” David notes. “It makes the whole organization more credible.”
From the start, David and Paul hoped that their property would be eligible for a conservation easement with the organization they had supported from day one. Wanting to be sure that the easement was free from conflict, David was not involved in any board decisions. The merits of this diverse landscape were enough to warrant permanent protection, and the property received its conservation easement in 2015.
“Neither of us regret it or had any hesitation about doing that,” Paul says.
Today, the land will always have the protection of the conservation easement. Knowing that DALC will always be here to defend it, Paul and David decided to include us in their will to ensure that our organization has the resources it needs to keeping doing good work. But what else does the future hold for this place? And how can landowners prepare for it?
Biodiversity has always been a primary focus of land stewardship for David and Paul, but in the face of climate change, it’s even more significant. A tulip tree, historically found in warmer regions to the south and east of Wisconsin, is thriving in a neighbor’s yard, demonstrating how plant ranges are shifting north.
That’s why Paul and David emphasize flexibility, and, in David’s words, “Taking a long-term view.” Managing land for a broad diversity of species – instead of monocultures of aggressive plants, like black locust – enhances ecological functions such as food for wildlife, ground water recharge, and carbon storage. It allows species to find the resources they need or move to more suitable locations as conditions shift. Overall, thriving ecosystems are better adapted to a changing climate.
But biodiversity wasn’t the only reason for the conservation easement. “Also, in the back of both our minds, we didn’t want to see irresponsible development,” David says. “To me, that’s a big part of the reason for Driftless Area Land Conservancy – prevent the breaking up of land.”
Fragmenting land with houses and roads reduces habitat, increases weedy species, and prevents plants and animals from moving freely. As part of our goal to protect 16,000 acres of land in the Driftless by 2027 – doubling the amount we conserved in our first 20 years – DALC is striving to create large, contiguous blocks of protected properties that will forever support people, wildlife, agriculture, and beautiful views across the Driftless.
Paul and David both hope that more private landowners will see how important their role is in protecting and sustaining wildlife habitat, green space, and biodiversity.
“I think public lands are very important,” David says. “But for private landowners, it should be a responsibility, and really a joy, to do stewardship on one’s own property.”
Written by Emilee Martell
