From the Rise of Goose Pond

Bicentennial Prairie surrounds the future Wingspan site, and is absolutely stunning right now! Photo by Brenna Marsicek

The view from Bicentennial Prairie right now is simply glorious. The space for the new Wingspan observation platform has been cleared and leveled, and the prairie is in full bloom in anticipation of its arrival.

This project is a community-spurred effort, initiated by Madison Audubon member John Kaiser, dedicated to Goose Pond Sanctuary land managers Mark and Sue Martin, and funded entirely by those who love and support Goose Pond -- that's YOU and your fellow members! Learn more here.

A preview of what you'll see from the Wingspan platform. Photo by Arlene Koziol

Here are a few exciting updates on the Wingspan project. By all means, please come out to Goose Pond and see them for yourself!

• The footprint for pavilion has been cleared and leveled (see photo below), and the concrete footings will be poured in the next few weeks.

• Materials for the shades are in hand, and their production is underway.

• The Prairie Lane road and turn-around will soon be expanded to accommodate Wingspan visitors.

• Benches have been ordered and will be delivered once the shades are installed.

• Plans for the dedication ceremony this fall will begin shortly. Stay tuned!

This half-circle scrape is the footprint of the future Wingspan site. More to come soon! MAS Photo

Mark the date: August 15

Donations to Wingspan of any amount are welcome and truly appreciated. All donors are listed on our website and in the newsletter.

Folks giving over $250 will be recognized on a permanent plaque on site. If you'd like your name or the name of someone you'd like to honor to appear on the plaque in time for the dedication ceremony this fall, please donate by August 15. Donations received after that date will be listed on the website and, for donations of $250 or more, on a second plaque installed at a later date.

Thank you for your enthusiasm, support, and vision! We look forward to sharing a splendid view and a long-lasting memory with you at Wingspan soon.

A Wingspan Update

Creating and leveling the space for the future Wingspan platform. Photo by Mark Martin

Wow, we are just floored by your generosity! Wingspan continues to make progress, thanks to the donations of dozens of supporters. This month, construction has begun. The footprint for the observation platform has been leveled and concrete footings will soon be poured. The fill to expand the parking and turnaround areas has arrived. It's an exciting process, and you're entirely to thank!

We are almost at our fundraising goal, but still have a few thousand to go. If you know of anyone who would like to put their fingerprints on the project, please share this information with them!

Thank you for your involvement! Stay tuned for more updates!

Sincerely,
The Wingspan Committee

Galen Hasler, John Kaiser, Brenna Marsicek, Mark and Sue Martin, Roger Packard, Matt Reetz, Don Schmidt, Topf Wells

Tell DOT: No Interstate Through Goose Pond Sanctuary

>> Read Madison Audubon's letter to Robert Knorr, DOT project manager <<

Scroll down to learn how you can help!

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation is currently studying ways to relieve congestion in the I-39/90/94 corridor east and north of Madison. Three of the five options under
consideration would severely affect Goose Pond Sanctuary.

A shooting star at Goose Pond Sanctuary

The most destructive options involve construction of a new section of interstate highway running east of DeForest and Arlington, through Goose Pond Sanctuary at Ankenbrandt Prairie, and rejoining the existing interstate corridor near the Wisconsin River. In addition to destroying and fragmenting prairie habitat, including habitat for the endangered silphium borer moth and other threatened grassland species, the new highway would bring noise, light,  air, and water pollution to the sanctuary, and would severely detract from public enjoyment of one of our area’s premier birding hotspots.

While construction won’t begin until 2025 or later, a decision on a preferred option is expected by this summer. We are hopeful, for a variety of economic, social, and environmental reasons,  that DOT will elect to confine any capacity expansion to the existing interstate corridor rather than create a new roadway.  Nonetheless, to assure this outcome, it is crucial that everyone who loves Goose Pond let DOT know that any new route through or near Goose Pond Sanctuary will pass through a minefield of public opposition.

UPDATE (Feb. 28, 2017): Good news! The Department of Transportation has eliminated the "East Reliever" interstate options, thereby removing the threat to Goose Pond Sanctuary! Thank you for your great help in making these concerns heard!

Prairies of Southern Wisconsin to feature Goose Pond Sanctuary in Photography Exhibit.

Photography by Rich Armstrong, featuring Goose Pond

What: Photography Exhibit

Where: Fitchburg Library, 5530 Lacy Road, Fitchburg, WI

When: November 28-December 28, 2016  

"Land extreemly fertile;  consisting of a happy mixture of praries and groves, exhibiting one of the most beautifull and picteresk seens that I ever beheld."    Meriwether Lewis

Prairies have meant different things to different peoples throughout their existence.  To the native peoples of the plains, prairies were the wellspring of their way of life,  following the immense herds of bison that were at the center of that existence - both brought to near extinction by the advent of a new wave of immigrants.  To these new immigrants the prairies were either a scourge to travel towards lands further west , or a plague to plow in order to reach the incredibly black and rich soil lying beneath.  Soil, that after much abuse, was then simply blown towards the Atlantic Ocean during the Dust Bowl.  Most of what was once prairie has now become a monoculture of corn and soy, grown mostly for the immense livestock industry that feeds a growing world population.  Less than 5% of the original tall-grass prairie still exists, and in Wisconsin, it is less than 1% that has survived the plow.

So, is the prairie doomed?  Thankfully, there has been a relatively recent resurgence of interest in the preservation and restoration of former prairie lands through the efforts of private, public, governmental, and environmental groups.  The sight that Meriwether Lewis and all the previous inhabitants saw is something none of us will ever see again.  But through the efforts of all the people involved in its preservation and restorations, perhaps we can get a glimpse of the majesty that once existed.  And for that we should all be grateful and give thanks to all those involved.  And even though these fragments are small in comparison, we can still see far if we only look close.

The photographers of this exhibit all share a passion for the natural world.  It is our hope that the photographs in this exhibit convey the same sense of wonder to you as we felt when composing them.  We also hope that these photographs will inspire you to visit a prairie, either natural or restored.  And, equally important, to inspire within you a commitment towards their preservation.  We hope that you enjoy this exhibit and we thank you for your time in viewing it.

The Photographers:  

Rich Armstrong- www.richarmstrongphotography.com/

Bob Jaeger- rjaegf@hotmail.com

Don Julie

Tom Klingele- www.tomklingele.smugmug.com/  

Help tag monarchs at Goose Pond Sanctuary

Releasing a freshly-tagged monarch butterfly. Photo by Arlene Koziol.

Bring your whole family and join us at Goose Pond Sanctuary to help with conservation efforts to track declining populations of monarch butterflies. 

Photo by Arlene Koziol

Madison Audubon works with monarchwatch.org to capture and tag butterflies at our Goose Pond Sanctuary for monitoring efforts throughout their migration route. You can help with this important citizen science effort!

According to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the recognizable orange-and-black butterfly species is in trouble. "Threats, including loss of milkweed habitat needed to lay their eggs and for their caterpillars to eat, are having a devastating impact on their populations and the migration phenomenon. Unless we act now to help the Monarch, this amazing animal could disappear in our lifetime. The state of Monarchs reflects the health of the American landscape and its pollinators. Monarch declines are symptomatic of environmental problems that also pose risks to food production, the spectacular natural places that help define our national identity, and our own health. Conserving and connecting habitat for monarchs will benefit many other plants and animals, including critical insect and avian pollinators, and future generations of Americans."

Attend a tagging event at Goose Pond on September 3rd or 10th to help with this important effort. Please register! We will be unable to support additional trip attendees due to limited materials and impact on the land.