Past DCCL Newletters

See related flyer for the DCCL Golf Outing at Deer Valley in Barneveld on Friday, July 30. Entry fee remains a very reasonable $55.00 per person. Linda and Keith Waier will chair this event for a seventh successful year. Spots are still available, so hurry and send in your money by Wednesday, July 21. The eighteen foursomes will sell out, so be quick. Keep in mind, though: You do not have to be a foursome, as one will be setup for you so that you have the chance to interact with other League members.

See the related flyer and let Linda know soon. As mentioned earlier, we will also find playing partners for those who cannot locate a foursome, so just go ahead and register. Contact Linda Waier at 845-7875 with any questions.

The Open House is Saturday, August 14. The birds should be in full color, and the farm will be in great shape. Your League Board of Directors and members looking to earn work hours will furnish the meal, which will include chicken breasts, burgers, brats, hot dogs, and corn on the cob.

The appetizers of smoked salmon and shrimp went fast last year, and we’ll see what we plan to have available this time. A number of members have brought desserts in the past; feel free to do so again this year. The meal will begin at 11:45, and we will continue to serve until 1:00. Members and their families can come any time that day, but remember the mealtime if you are so inclined. There is no charge for this meal. A can will be available if one chooses to make a donation. Good time to enjoy some camaraderie and see your facility.

A number of activities are scheduled from late July through August, including the League’s Golf Outing (July 30), our Open House (August 14), and Bird Release (August 28). See related notices in this newsletter. Golf Outing registration is due by July 21. Hurry, as it will sell out as it has for the past number of years.

Chair Ed Brost reports we had a good crew to clean up a section of the Yahara River for Madison’s Take a Stake in the Lakes. Stan Allen reports that four bags of trash along with one quarter, one penny, two fishing corks and one eighteen-pound carp were found. Thanks to the following members and Ed for their time for showing the difference a half day can make in improving a waterway.

The Board of Directors approved the use of monies from the Nash Williams Fund to evaluate the purchase of nineteen acres of land owned by the Middleton School District. The District will allow the nonprofit Friends of Pheasant Branch to acquire the property, otherwise it will be developed. Mr. Williams did not reside too far from this area, and in his memory the board approved $4,000 to be used to acquire additional grant writing time from specialists in this field which will assist in the purchase of a conservation easement, and to pay for additional mailings and printing to assist with public education and outreach for this project.

We recently released six buckets of beetles in Dunlop Hollow outside of Mazomanie. Brock Woods states that the beetles are beginning to populate the Hollow, but it will take many more to have a real impact on the loosetrife that is present. We began assisting Middleton High School last year with their small-scale purple loosestrife project, and we helped again this year. They began to raise another brood of the beetles during the spring semester of school. In late May they released the beetle larvae, which began to feed on the loosestrife in late June and early July. This year, we released approximately 10,000 beetles in Dunlop Hollow.

Based on the Scholarship Committee recommendations, the League awarded three scholarships to high school students who are interested in a major related to work/education in conservation. We hope our support to these individuals will allow them to support our membership, and future generations. Awardees were:

Barbara Heindl – Graduating from Madison West High School. Future plans are to attend the UW-Stevens Point, majoring in Forestry and Environmental Education.

Benjamin Vondra – Graduating from Wisconsin Heights High School. Future plans are to attend UW-Stevens Point, majoring in Natural Resources.

Sean Neverman – Graduating from DeForest High School. Future plans are to attend UW-Stevens Point, majoring in Natural Resources.

he birds have just come out of their brooders and are really stretching their wings and having a good time in the runs and pens. The pheasants are beginning to show color and should be in full color by the time of the Open House. The quail and pheasants are for sale now. While this editor enjoys working at the farm any time of the year, there are three times I really enjoy it. First, when the birds first arrive as day-old chicks. Second, when they are first released into the catch pens and runs. Their excited chatter and stretching of wings are a real treasure to see. Also, now is the time to see how the birds begin to change during the rest of the season. Last, when they are rounded-up for members to release, or to be sold to others for release. We have heard from a number of people how the quail and hens they released last year had very successful broods this year. If you do not get the chance to work at the farm before the Open House, keep August 14 in mind to attend the Open House.

We are grateful to the members who have worked to redo the net on Pen 2. Because of the coated wire, the pens are doing well as the fencing is more weather resistant, and the added bonus is it is easier on the birds. Bill Lawrence and Bob Domek have done their usual good work on the net and thistle in Pen 2.

We still need your help and assistance every Saturday until the birds are released in late August and then the following Saturdays to close the farm. If Saturday does not work, and a different part of the week works better for you, please contact a director to make arrangements. You can always cull the prairie of trash plants, such as the ever-present thistle.

We would like to cull any remaining unwanted plants from our prairie during the next two Saturdays in July.

With enough help we can accomplish the cull of at least four plants: curly dock, two types of thistle, and Queen Anne’s lace. Ideally we would like to remove these plants from the prairie before they bloom or at least before they form seeds. When possible, particularly if the ground is softened by recent rain, we prefer to pull the plants out with their roots attached. If this can’t be done then we cut them off near ground level. If seeds have already formed we bag them in garbage bags and remove them from the prairie. If the plant hasn’t gone to seed, we leave the pulled or cut plant in the prairie. Removal of alien plants at this time of year will prevent seeding and decrease the number of alien plants next year. While we certainly will not remove all of the unwanted plants we will improve the quality of our prairie. Please bring gloves and pruning shears as we have only a limited supply at the farm.

To help recognize the plants mentioned above, curly dock at this time of year is about three feet tall the top of which is a big seed-head in the process or turning from green to brown. The seed-head needs to be removed from the prairie. Queen Anne’s lace is now starting to bloom. In bloom it is about three to five feet tall with a flat circular bloom and the leaves are very lacy. Thistles are thistles and are recognized as such by most people. However, we do have one native thistle in our prairie that should not be removed. It is easy to recognize and differentiate from the nonnative thistles since the underside of its leaves is white while it is generally light green on the bad thistles. An example of the native thistle is in about the fifth square from the west end of our demonstrative prairie plants. (see below). Queen Anne’s lace and thistles should be pulled if possible.

The prairie is in beautiful shape except for alien plants and color is beginning to pop. A real sight to behold, one that we can treasure as members, so please consider helping, as more hands make light work!

Have you ever wondered what prairie plants make up a prairie? Well, there sure are a lot of different kinds. While our prairie has relatively few, our Prairie Chairperson, Dave Wilken, has identified at least five prairie grasses and nineteen varieties of forbes (flowers) in our prairie. In the fifty-nine 2X2 foot squares along the south side of the prairie he has planted known grasses and forbes. About 50 have grown and are labeled with their identity. This has to be one of the few prairies in southern Wisconsin where plants are identified right next to the prairie. For those members who have not seen your prairie yet, now is a great time to stop by.

Dave Wilken asks that if any members are interested in working with him on the prairie during the year to contact him at 767-3830 or 222-1792.

His goals are to get known specimens of typical prairie plants growing in the fifty-nine demonstration squares and to increase the number of kinds of prairie plants growing in the main prairie by overseeding with seeds from plant types not currently in our prairie.

Bird release date for all qualifying members will be August 28, beginning at 8:00 AM. Qualifying members are members who are eligible to receive twelve to fifteen pheasants in return for donating work time to various League

sanctioned projects. This newsletter announces some upcoming activities where members can earn hours, including assisting with the golf outing and Open House and putting in some time on Saturday mornings at the Farm at 2497 Cty J, west of Verona.

The minimum time necessary to qualify is fifteen hours, and they must be logged before August 28. By having a mass roundup, we allow the birds to be "rounded up" as few times as possible. This helps protect the condition of the birds. Hours worked are posted at the farm and will be updated every other week thereafter. Just so you know, once fifteen work hours have been attained, your time will only show fifteen hours, even though a number of our members have hundreds of hours on various League activities. Check on a Saturday morning if you are uncertain where you stand for time appropriate crates are to be used. New, reasonably priced ones can be purchased on the Internet; check our website. We will also have a few to lend. Members will likely be entitled to fifteen birds, eight hens and seven roosters. This aids in our mission for preservation. We will sell an allotted number of birds prior to the release date for those members and nonmembers interested in purchasing birds. Roosters will be $9.50, with $8.00 for hens.

Quail are available now for $4.00 each and are available on most Saturdays. They sold out fast last year. There is no limit on quantity.

Members will need a dog training or stocking permit. You may request this form from your local conservation warden, or a copy can be picked up at the farm before the release date. Birds for human consumption do not require a permit. Human consumption birds will all be hens.

The Dane County Conservation League’s kickoff membership meeting will be Sept 28, beginning at 7:30 at the VFW Hall, 133 E. Lakeside St., in Madison.

Traditionally, we have representatives from the DNR discuss any recent rule changes and chronic wasting disease.

We will also have a raffle, and Rod Fornetti will have the video library there for those folks who want to sharpen up for this fall. We will also have available mailers for recycling printer cartridges, rather than throwing them in the trash.

A chance to earn work hours building lunker structures on the upper reaches of the German Valley Branch of Gordon Creek is being offered to the membership on July 17 beginning at 8:30, and running until noon. They will also work from 1:00-4:30 that afternoon, and again on July 18 at the same time for the two sessions.

The location is Gary and Dennis Karls’ farm on Cty E (west of Mt Horeb). Go south on E until you see stacks of lumber and appropriate signage, which should be near 10426 Mayflower Road. Again, you should notice the lunker structures and cars at the meeting place. Bring work gloves and work boots; waders are not necessary.

The lumber is milled and cut-to-specs prior to delivery, and pneumatic nailers will expedite assembly. Let TU member Steve Fabos , or League Director Dave Wilken  know if you can make it as Steve is planning a lunch also. They will take your help even if you show up without calling. Many hands make light work.