Some most excellent land conservation news broke recently. The Driftless Area Land Conservancy (DALC) announced the creation of a huge new nature preserve in southwest Dane County!
Photo courtesy of Driftless Area Land Conservancy
Two aspects of the Spring Valley Preserve stand out: its size and diversity. At 308 acres, it's huge. Those acres include oak savannas, sand prairies, oak woodlands, oak openings, wetlands, springs, and a small stream. The land features some great native plants, including a personal favorite, the prickly pear cactus. I don't know if DALC and its allies have had the chance to identify all the animals that call this land home at one time or another but, in my blissful, hopeful ignorance, I'm rooting for the ornate box turtle to show up one day.
The land is only going to get better. It offers many restoration opportunities that DALC and the incredibly generous buyer/donor/steward have committed to pursue.
Please read the press release in gratitude for all the generous and hard-working folks who made this extraordinary achievement possible. But I want to single out one for special notice.
Martha Gibson is the member of the Primrose Town Board, who first became aware of the then owners' decision to sell the property. She instantly recognized the conservation values of the land and from that moment worked relentlessly to connect DALC and the purchaser so that they could reach a satisfactory agreement with the owners and one another to buy and manage the property. This nature preserve would not have happened without Martha's work.
Photo courtesy of Driftless Area Land Conservancy
This was not Martha's first rodeo. For years she has served on the Primrose Planning Commission, the Capital Area Planning Commission, and the Town Board, always with an eye to preserving Primrose's and Dane County's natural and farm resources.
The town board position is elected. Martha is a great example of the difference a local elected official can make to conservation efforts. A recent news story celebrated Dane County's park system for the relief and joy it has offered to tens of thousands of visitors during the pandemic. Those thousands of acres of parks, trails, picnic areas, prairies, woods, streams, lakes, and rivers would not have existed without elected officials—county executives and county board supervisors—voting to buy, develop, restore, and maintain those properties. Town of Dunn Board Members and Chairperson developed a ground-breaking program decades ago to preserve farms and open spaces throughout the town. In recent years, county boards in Jefferson and Waukesha Counties purchased lands with great conservation values.
The elections for local offices occur in the spring. This year, Election Day is April 6. These elections are noted for their typically low turnout. Let's change that this year. Please vote. Before you do, find out who is running for office in your neighborhood or district. Give them a call (they'll probably be stunned but happy that someone knows they are running) and let them know how important conservation is to you. This is really important if the race is contested.
Not that you need it but you can watch a reminder of what is at stake with elections. A recent PBS television show featuring beautiful views of some of southern Wisconsin's most beautiful landscapes and natural areas. Most of the land the camera features has been saved in part because elected officials chose to act.
Thanks and stay healthy,
Topf Wells
