Volunteer Highlight: Piece of Praise for Hard Work and Service

This past week, I took a few hours to enter the volunteer log sheets that have been piling up on my desk. This deep wave of gratitude and a feeling of warmth came over me as I documented the many hours of effort our steadfast volunteers have put in at our properties this year.  Each site is different.  Erickson Conservation Area has been under the care of a cadre of volunteers since it became an Ambassador Property, while Sardeson Preserve and Spring Valley Tract have only recently been getting care and attention.  My mind flashed back to the many work days DALC held this year – each with a different crew, a different obstacle, and a different goal.  I feel surrounded and supported at times like these, and for that, I am so very grateful. Together, our volunteers have logged nearly 750 hours on DALC properties.  And there are likely hours that I still am not accounting for. 

This year, DALC also worked hand in hand with three WisCorp crews (www.wiscorps.org) towards our restoration goals. With their help, we started our work clearing brush from the oak savanna at Spring Valley Tract, expanded the prairie-wetland complex at Erickson Conservation Area,  and built several miles of the Driftless Trail. Each crew was truly a joy to work with – even as we fared temperature extremes that ranged from a 95 degree heat wave to a sudden wet snowy blizzard.   

So, my Piece of Praise is my gratitude for the volunteers and members of our community involved in service.  Your work does not go un-noticed. 

Thank you!

Cindy Becker