mario QUintana

A publication of the Natural Heritage Land Trust Spring 2009

Mazomanie Wildlife Area

Land Purchased
by Dane County
Land Purchased
by Land Trust

Walking Iron
County Park

Sneak Peek Hike on

Village of Mazomanie Saturday, May 16
1:00 pm
870 acres protected near Mazomanie
ere is your first chance to check
2006 aerial imagery from USDa-fSa aerial PhotograPhy fielD office. aDDitional Data ProDUceD anD coPyrighteD
by Dane coUnty anD the Dnr, anD other graPhicS ProDUceD by the natUral heritage lanD trUSt.
h out the new Walking iron natural
resource area. you will see a
floodplain forest along the Wisconsin
n December 18th, in partner- natural area, and it links together thou- river, oak barrens, and a really big slip-

o ship with Dane county, the nat-

ural heritage land trust made
its largest conservation purchase in its
25 year history—870 acres of oak bar-
rens, forest, and farmland adjacent to a
county park and a state wildlife area in
the town of mazomanie. this acquisi-
tion was four years in the making. in
conjunction with additional acreage
purchased simultaneously from the
same landowner by Dane county, it re-
sulted in the permanent protection of
1,070 acres of land stretching three
miles from the Wisconsin river to east
of county highway y.
the property sits between Walking
iron county Park, mazomanie Wildlife
area, and mazomanie bottoms State
sands of acres of conservation land.
turkey, pheasant, deer, cottontail rab-
bits, mergansers, and grebes are abun-
dant on the property. it also provides
habitat for rare fish, plants, and birds.
the goal of the acquisition is to pro-
tect and restore important wildlife habi-
tat, connect the county park and state
wildlife area, and open up more land for
nature-based recreation. the property
will be transferred to Dane county and
open to the public for hunting, trap-
ping, fishing, hiking, and cross-country
skiing. the low-lying farmland will be
restored to wetland habitat and the rest
will stay in farming.
the Dane county conservation
fund made this acquisition possible. 䡲
pery elm tree. this is a moderately
strenuous off-trail hike for people ready
to get their feet wet and clothes dirty.
co-leaders: Doris rusch, nicole
Staskowski, and Jim Welsh. cost: free.
bring water and a snack. Wear hiking
boots or sturdy shoes that can get wet.
the hike will take place rain or shine
except in extreme conditions. Duration:
3 hours. Pre-registration required and
space is limited. contact martha frey
at 258-9797
martha@nhlt.org.
Sign up today!
Special thanks to
Vermont Valley for
sponsoring the
Sneak Peek hike. 䡲
 Stephen & Susan carpenter gene mitchell
Members Meet Bradshaw-Knight Challenge cristina celada Patrick mommaerts
martha christensen natural resources consulting, inc
Whether it be joining as a new member or increasing your per- arlen & Judy christenson tony & Darlene nowak
Sherren clark Kathleen otterson
sonal contribution for the year, THANK YOU to all who partici- Susie clark Wayne & Jackie Pauly
pated in the Bradshaw-Knight Foundation Challenge. We did it! ted & barbara cochrane leslie & Seth Perelman
greg & Debbie cooke Dan & Judy Peterson
cress funeral & cremating Services John & evelyn Peterson
New Members Karen osborne Dave & lori creswell thomas & Katherine Pientka
cathy acker Dan & Judy Peterson Jim & lisa cummings gail Pierson
marilyn alfini andy Pfeiffer robert & ann Demars evan & Jane Pizer
anonymous (2) bryan Pierce Jane Dennis Paul rabinowitz
bruce bauman & emily bair chad Pierick Dew Signs & engraving nancy & Ken ragland
Jeff berg gaylord Plummer bert Dodds & Danielle Wood robert reese
David bernier caleb Pourchot althea & bryan Dotzour glenn reinl & Sara Krebsbach
James & marjorie bogacz Pat Pourchot mike & Shelley Dubis David rice
Kenneth boldt mary Powell Dan eater harriet riley
brian & Jennifer bonti Joyce & irwin Probstein Kathy engell-hunt harry & anne ripp
barbara borns K. rasmussen Dan erdman Dana & mark roffers
chet bradley laura riel norman erway arlene rotter
catherine buege mike roessler realty terry & marty evanson Doris rusch
Kelly & mayre lee clifton bryan & Diane ross Pam & tim felt faith russell & John miller
cross Plains Pharmacy Pat & Will rossman thomas fish robert & Virginia Salisbury
Jack Densmore robert & Virginia Salisbury nancy forster Pat Sammataro
Jim elleson carol Samuel evelyn fox Justin Schaefer & Katherine haig
Jeffrey endres monica Sauter & Peter harnish Dennis & hanna franke roger & cheryl Schlesser
miles & amy epstein alfred & alta Schroeder liz frautschi nancy Schlimgen & rich lampe
John evenson Wes Slaymaker & Diana cohen clayton ganser florence & robert Schmitt
fran & Sue faber helen Slavens anna garner-Strickon ruth & norbert Schmitz
amanda falch glenn & mary Spaay lynn & michael golden mary & Jerry Schwoch
frank feit & christine fleming Judith Stang Dorothy gosting robert & christie Selk
Philip fish ralph Stockhausen tura graber Pam Severson
ellen fisher lee & Jacqui Swanson mary Dianne greenley Kevin Shelley & Sandra Whitney
marie fraser ernie & Sharon thieding frank grenzow David Sherlock & Jennifer gottwald
Jim & Kris frater John tweddale tom gross & linda hein Julie Shiner-bazan & bernard bazan
bob & gail freedman chris & Karen Upper bob gurda & betty craig brent Sielinger & megan Schliesman
the geo group Kathy & Scott Varese David & rea gustafson marty & tracy Simonson
Violet gertsch Jeff Vercauteren Warren hagstrom mike & linda Slavney
barb gibbons-engel John Vignali David hanson mike & nancy Sloan
anna goebel marc Vitale John & cate harrington george Smith
Don grubb Vicki & charles Wangerin henry hart Jeff Smith
thomas haag West Side garden club Paul & Jackie hass mark Smith & Dan rigney
gordon hale Dorothy Wheeler lee & yolanda hayden neal & Diane Smith
gil & Karen herman andrew & angela Wilcox-hull Julie hayward & Donn D'alessio randall & marilyn Smith
Jacki & John hershberger arlene Wolek Pam & craig heilman Willilam & roberta Sonzogni
Pat hitchcock levi Wood ted haglund bob & lisa Sorge
anthony ives linda Wooldridge mary Jean huston David & collette Sorgel
David Johnson fred & Dyana Worrell greg & Jane hyer nicole Staskowski
John Kessler & mara Zimmerman Josie young isthmus Surveying lorraine Stoltzfus & Karen rahmeier
rebecca & Kyle Ketelsen marilyn young bob & molly Jahn mike & molly Strigel
martha Kilgour Phyllis young angela James & forbes mcintosh nancy Sugden & robert newbery
helen Klibaner nancy Zucker & michael burns David Jenkins & mary Pertzborn mark & Sarah Sundquist
James Knickmeyer leslie Johnson & terry marshall bill Swan
robert & Virginia Kominiak Renewing Members who martin & ruth Johnson Stanley temple
Kurt Krumholz increased their personal Sue Jones Sylvia thal
eva Kubinski contributions for the year hiroshi & arlene Kanno Donna & chet thomas
Jack ladinsky Karen agee & Scott fulton David & elizabeth Katzelnick John thompson
David lee bill & myra ahern thomas & Jennifer Kerns Jim trumpy
madelyn leopold constance anderson Sandy & Douglas Kintner margaret Van alystyne
lawrence & helen leroy anonymous Kevin Komarak James Van Deurzen
Sharon lezberg norman & lucie arendt thomas & margie Krauskopf William & gail Van haren
Karen lundquist edith & Deane arny harold Kreitz Stephen Ventura
Julie logan Steven & mary banovetz edward & roberta Krinsky nate & Julia Voss
mario QUintana

Joe lusson & aleen tierney mike & renee bashel beth Kubly carmen & John Wagner
lisa martin Walter bauman family renee lauber rod & lynne Wealti
P. mc connell Jim & nancy baxter roma lenehen the Weary traveler
bonnie mcintyre marvin & ellouise beatty linda & andy levi frank & mariana Weinhold
carson mettel Jon becker geoffrey & edith maclay gary Werner & melanie lord
roberta meyer Sharon & John bloodgood mary maher maura Whitmore
nina & Jacob mills David blume, mD David & linda martin tripp & nancy Widder
mike & mary mirkes James & betty ann bolitho ron martin h.K. Wiesner, Jr.
gregory motl & laurel brooks Steven brezinski John mason Dan Wisnewski
Joseph nilson cathie bruner Kathleen mccormick & Jim Powell michael & barbara Wollmer
bill & Deb noltner tom & Diane brys Peter medley & Pauline gilbertson bob & nan Woodburn
Jan norsetter & Jon Sutcliffe crystal buck & ben coakley carolyn meyer carla Wright
Jefren olsen andrea buelow marion meyer Patricia Zastrow
Julie olsen & tim Valdez Vern & Phyllis buskanger elizabeth middleton marjorie Zimmerman

Natural Heritage Land Trust • Spring 2009

Bob Bolz—A Remembrance Workdays and Hikes
he madison community has lost a great citizen; the natural heritage land trust Work parties at Black Earth Creek:

t has lost a great friend. robert m. bolz died on January 19, 2009. his contribu-
tions to the community have been well-documented; perhaps less well known
are his contributions to the land trust.
March 14, March 28, April 25,
May 9 (Saturdays) Please join the land
trust, the local chapter of trout Unlim-
bob bolz was a founding member of the Dane county natural heritage founda- ited, and the Dnr for these workdays,
tion, which later became the natural heritage land trust. he served on the board from which start at 8:00 am and go until
1983 to 1995. in the mid-eighties, the land trust was a struggling organization trying noon. See the news and events tab of
to raise money, form partnerships with the city and the county, and educate the public www.nhlt.org for details.
about conservation easements. i remember that bob
and ornithologist Joe hickey were always reminding Work parties on the Ice Age Trail
us that this was a new organization, that growing at Hickory Hill:
would not only take hard work but take time, and that March 21 and April 4 (Saturdays)
eventually it would all work out. and it has. Please join the ice age Park and trail
i remember being part of a small group of board foundation for these workdays on or
members out with bob looking at proposed conser- adjacent to land the land trust helped
vation easements. one of our stops was a magnifi- protect. Work starts at 9:00 am; stay as
cent hilltop outside of Waunakee where you could long as you like; work will continue until
Bob and Anne Bolz see all the way across lake mendota to the State 3:00 pm. See the news and events tab
capitol. it was a magical place. in 2001, a conserva- of www.nhlt.org for details.
tion easement on that hilltop and the surrounding 10 acres were donated to the land
trust by the bolz family. Frog Walk at Cherokee Marsh on
i remember when the bolz lifetime achievement award was set up in honor of Thursday, April 30, 6:00 pm
bob and anne bolz and the first time it was presented in 2004. it is a fitting tribute to Welcome spring with an evening hike
both of them: people who care about preserving the woods, wetlands, and open at cherokee marsh. listen for chorus
spaces of Dane county. they also established an endowment for the land trust frogs, spring peepers, and wood frogs.
through the eugenie mayer bolz family foundation to support the daily operations co-leaders: mary binkley, nicole
of the natural heritage land trust. Staskowski and Jim Welsh. cost: free.
former board president mike Slavney said it for all of us: “bob was a steady voice bring flashlight. Dress for wet conditions
of sound judgment and leadership for our organization”. he certainly was generous, —wear hiking boots or sturdy shoes.
considerate, and a devoted conservationist as well. We will miss him. 䡲 the hike will take place rain or shine
except in extreme conditions. Dura-
—Jean Meanwell, Founding Board Member and past Board President tion: 90 minutes
invite a friend to join you for the
frog Walk. (over 40% of members
learned about the land trust from a
Thank Yous friend.) Pre-registration required and
• Shirley Droste and eileen Dresser for preparing membership mailings spaces limited. contact martha frey
• andy Pfeiffer for uploading our photos to flickr at 258-9797 or martha@nhlt.org. Sign
• caleb Pourchot for providing database consulting up today! Special thanks to fontana
• mario Quintana for more great photography for sponsoring the frog Walk. 䡲

Black Earth Creek valley from Festge County Park

Natural Heritage Land Trust • Spring 2009

 non-Profit
organization
US Postage Paid
Permit no. 245
You helped: madison, Wi

• protect 870 acres between

Walking Iron County Park and
Mazomanie Wildlife Area
• meet our challenge grant and 303 S Paterson St, Suite 6
recruit 120 new members madison,Wi 53703
www.nhlt.org

the natural heritage land trust protects

natural areas, wildlife habitat, working
farms, healthy lakes and streams, and
recreational land to provide a high quality
of life in the Dane county region.

President Past Presidents Ray Merrill (l), Richard Merrill (r), and Gretchen Merrill (c) in 1950
Johanna J. allex norman c. anderson on Wildcat Bluff with the Wisconsin River in the background.
John b. hutchinson
Vice President
carla Wright
William g. lunney In the Works:
Jean D. meanwell
Treasurer Kathy f. Pielsticker
Protection of Wildcat Bluff
michael Dubis michael a. Slavney
mark b. Williams he natural heritage land trust is working with a
Secretary
Jeffrey Strobel
Directors
tom bergamini
Executive Director
Jim Welsh
Conservation Specialist
t columbia county family to protect a beautiful bluff
on the Wisconsin river. the bluff has been in the
richard merrill family for 80 years. richard approached us in 2007 to see if we could
Vicki elkin Kate Wipperman help his family achieve their goal of protecting the bluff.
rob gottschalk Wildcat bluff is an impressive part of the Wisconsin river landscape at the upper
Membership Director
brenda r. haskins
martha frey end of lake Wisconsin in columbia county. boaters heading upstream enjoy views of
tom hebl
angela James Membership & the 160’ tall bluff, just north of the heavily developed area around tipperary Point.
David Z. rice Administrative Assistant Wildcat bluff will be the land trust’s fifth project on the Wisconsin river.
Kevin b. Shelley mary Schwoch the land trust will help the merrill family protect the bluff and 1,750 feet of shore-
David Simon
line this spring through a conservation easement which will permanently restrict
Willi Van haren
development of the property. the land trust will annually monitor the property to ensure
that its natural beauty will be enjoyed by future generations, just as the merrills intend. 䡲

Personal Legacy = Land Legacy

Please remember the Natural Heritage Land Trust in your will.

Membership Form
Please fill out this form and return it to natural heritage land trust, 303 S. Paterson St., Suite 6, madison, Wi 53703.
if you prefer to donate online, go to www.nhlt.org.
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Phone _____________________________________ email ________________________________________________________
Payment method: □ check enclosed (payable to natural heritage land trust) □ bill my credit card: □ Visa □ mastercard
name on card___________________________________ card number __________________________ exp. Date ___________
to make a credit card donation by phone, please call 608-258-9797. contributions are tax-deductible as provided for by law.

Natural Heritage Land Trust • Spring 2009