At the end of 2020, we received a remarkable gift: 300+ acres of a diverse Driftless landscape north of New Glarus. Thanks to the vision, dedication, and generosity of the local community, this special place was forever saved from development. At the time, we called this property Spring Valley Tract. But that name was always meant to be a placeholder, a temporary title while we got to know the land better. Now, after several years of exploration, restoration, and conversation, we are excited to share a new and permanent name:
Wild Oaks Preserve.
“Ryan’s Oak,” one of the most iconic trees at the preserve. Photo: Zach Pacana
This name was the result of careful thought and several rounds of community input. Below, site steward Fil Sanna shares some of the things this new name signifies for him.
This name is simple, and yet encapsulates several important aspects of the land and the project.
First, oak trees are a prominent symbol of the landscape. Even though the property is hugely diverse – containing oak woodland and savanna, native prairie, several types of wetlands, a spring-fed stream, pastures, and tilled cropland – almost anywhere you go, you are within sight of oaks.
Oaks are also a keystone species – one that helps define and hold together the entire ecosystem. Countless insects, birds, mammals, and smaller plants depend on oaks. Accordingly, we are working to preserve the oaks that are there and improve conditions for new oaks to sprout and survive.
As for the “Wild” part, the site was once wild and we are working to make it (relatively speaking) wild again. I’ve been fortunate enough to visit true wilderness in the mountains, and have pictured in my dreams how the vast tallgrass prairies of southern Wisconsin might have once looked. It’s my hope that we can rekindle enough of the latent wildness of the land to evoke something of what our ancestors saw when they came through these hills. In the words of Terry Tempest Williams: “Wildness reminds us what it means to be human, what we are connected to rather than what we are separate from.” Our hope is that future visitors will find inner rejuvenation and outward community in the wild corners of this place.
One final note: the site is historically and culturally rich. How do we properly honor those who came before us? We have been in conversation with officers and allies of the Ho-Chunk tribe, and our work nurturing these relationships will continue. We have researched the history of and had conversations with families who lived on the land in the past. There were at least three homesteads there. We are preserving the old barns at the historic Sonsteby farmstead and converting the farmyard into the main entrance for the property. The other two homesteads have ruins that can be featured along future hiking trails. And we expect that there will be other naming opportunities within the site – a council ring, different trails, a boardwalk, and more – to honor those who came before us as well as those deeply involved in the current project.
This is a big moment for the Wild Oaks Preserve – we’ve come a long way since we acquired this property less than three years ago!
Thank you to all who have given their time, energy, support, and creativity to Wild Oaks Preserve. We are still working on safe access to the site. If you want to visit Wild Oaks, contact us, or attend one of our many work days or events there! Find details on our Events Calendar.