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.