Wednesday Evening Watershed Walks 2009

 

A series of walks within the Upper Yahara River Watershed and beyond,

extending from Earth Week to Yahara Lakes Week or Take a Stake in the Lakes Days.

 

Watershed Walks begin at 6:30 p.m.

 

April 22   Patrick Marsh                 Friends of Patrick Marsh                        Stone Quarry Road, Sun Prairie

Earth Week                                         Highway 151 south on Columbus Street, east on Stone Quarry Road.  Meet Mark Smith, Patrick Marsh Middle School Science Teacher at the wildlife area parking lot kiosk: (608-834-7686).

 

April 29   Culver Conservancy                   Token Creek Watershed Association      3667 Egre Road, DeForest

Highway 19, north on Portage Road, east on Egre Road. Meet John and/or Judith Hutchinson of Token Creek Watershed Association for a glimpse of the springs and progress of the restoration of Token Creek:

(608-837-2758).

 

May 6      Cherokee Marsh             Friends of Cherokee Marsh    6098 North Sherman Ave., Madison

North Sherman Avenue ends in a gravel road to parking lot. Meet Russ Hefty, Conservation Resource Supervisor and Jan Axelson of the Friends of Cherokee Marsh to visit a sedge meadow and wet prairie. See spring wildflowers and listen for swamp sparrows and sedge wrens. Learn about the geology and past human impacts in the marsh:  (608-241-5828).

 

May 13    North Mendota                Dane County Parks                          56668 Woodland Drive, Waunakee

        Natural Resource Area    Enter off Enchanted View Lane. Continue straight onto gravel road until parking area in front of large gray barn. Meet Nancy Schlimgen to walk to the edge of the Six-mile Creek for a view of its adjacent wetlands within this new natural resource area: (608-849-8870 or 608-770-3477).*

                                                 

May 20    Jackson’s Landing           Town of Westport                           5485 Willow Road, Waunakee

County Highway M, then south on Willow Road. Meet Jim Stephenson at the Willows Tavern parking lot. Hear the history of this site while viewing the vital wildlife habitat of these preserved wetlands. (*same contact as above)

 

May 27    Governor’s Island           Mendota Mental Health Institute                 Cinder Lane, Madison

                                                                   Access Main Drive via Green Avenue or Troy Drive left onto Cinder Lane into parking lot. Meet Gary Maier for his interpretation of Effigy Mounds.

(Come early if you wish to walk the Governor’s Island loop on your own).*

   

June 3      Holy Wisdom Monastery Benedictine Women of Madison         4200 Co. Hwy. M, Middleton

County Highway M entrance, then curve to the lower left parking lot.

Meet Paul Boutwell to see progress of landscape plans for storm water management considerations surrounding the new LEED certified building and the impact of Lost Lake and the upland prairies on lake quality:

(608-836-1631 ext. 121).

 

June 10   Pheasant Branch             Friends of Pheasant Branch                  Highland Way, Middleton                Creek Conservancy                Century Avenue west of Hwy Q intersection at the first stoplight turn and

Take a Stake in the Lakes Days         proceed to the gate. Meet Janet Kane to get an overview of new management plans for Highland Way portion of the Conservancy and explore the impact on water quality in the conservancy:  (608-831-1452).

 

June 17   Dunn’s Marsh                  Dawley Conservancy Park   3051 South Seminole Hwy. Fitchburg

Take a Stake in the Lakes Days      Seminole Highway South from the Beltline or North from PD/McKee Road.  The Seminole Highway parking lot, from the Beltline, is on your right after you pass the marsh and begin to climb a small hill, or on your left a ¼ mile after you cross PD. Meet Brooke Norsted, Chair of Friends of Dunn’s Marsh:

                                                            (baswanson@gmail.com).

 

Please join us as we experience the sights and sounds of spring in our watershed.

Comfortable shoes suitable for varied terrain are recommended.

Visit www.benedictinewomen.org for a complete schedule of all the walks.