By Topf Wells
The forecast was a 27% chance of showers, with those being light and scattered for the last work day of the spring. Just a little off, 100% with occasionally heavy rain. But 12 SWTU volunteers had gathered at Sawmill Creek with rain gear and determination (Sally had another name for it when I returned home).
So we plunged into the mostly light rain and invasive honeysuckle thickets and emerged an hour and a half later mostly triumphant. The best water on the Pokorny easement is now visible and fishable, lots of material is ready to be brush bundled this fall, and some nice native plants now have room to grow. As a bonus, the two Jims (Hess and O’Brien) also eliminated more invasives, Dame’s Rocket and the persistently dreadful Wild Parsnip.
One of the stars of the day was Steve Fabos, the owner of Indigenous Restoration and expert sawyer. He’s helped secure several easements around Sawmill and has helped Meg Pokorny pursue a holistic restoration of her land and property. Meg and April Prussia, Steve’s wife and pork savant, had brats, brownies, cookies and fruit waiting for us in a dry shed after the work day. They qualify as angels of the day.
Again we had a nice showing of work day veterans and folks pretty new to the effort. The chainsawing was tough. Steve said that old, gnarly, and big clumps of honeysuckle are tough. Something about the fiber of the wood can pop a chain off. Steve, John Freborg, and Curt Riedl did a great job under difficult conditions. Hauling wasn’t easy. Much of the honeysuckle had decided to grow on steep, increasingly slippery banks. We all hung in there and did not fall into the creek– not that it would have made much difference.
Huge thanks to Meg for her hospitality and the care she shows for the natural resources around this wonderful creek. She and Bill, her husband have been generous in selling the easement to the DNR and in their support of SWTU. And to Steve and April, not only for today but for their years of advocacy for conservation and responsible agriculture.
Jim now takes a break from his superb organization and leadership of our work days. He deserves some fun fishing trips and a quiet summer on his and Marci’s prairie and savanna. Jim, thank you for a wonderful spring of worthwhile and fun stream conservation.
Photos courtesy Jim Hess.
We’re Not Sugar; We Didn’t Melt
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Posted: July 6, 2024 by Drew Kasel
By Topf Wells
The forecast was a 27% chance of showers, with those being light and scattered for the last work day of the spring. Just a little off, 100% with occasionally heavy rain. But 12 SWTU volunteers had gathered at Sawmill Creek with rain gear and determination (Sally had another name for it when I returned home).
So we plunged into the mostly light rain and invasive honeysuckle thickets and emerged an hour and a half later mostly triumphant. The best water on the Pokorny easement is now visible and fishable, lots of material is ready to be brush bundled this fall, and some nice native plants now have room to grow. As a bonus, the two Jims (Hess and O’Brien) also eliminated more invasives, Dame’s Rocket and the persistently dreadful Wild Parsnip.
One of the stars of the day was Steve Fabos, the owner of Indigenous Restoration and expert sawyer. He’s helped secure several easements around Sawmill and has helped Meg Pokorny pursue a holistic restoration of her land and property. Meg and April Prussia, Steve’s wife and pork savant, had brats, brownies, cookies and fruit waiting for us in a dry shed after the work day. They qualify as angels of the day.
Again we had a nice showing of work day veterans and folks pretty new to the effort. The chainsawing was tough. Steve said that old, gnarly, and big clumps of honeysuckle are tough. Something about the fiber of the wood can pop a chain off. Steve, John Freborg, and Curt Riedl did a great job under difficult conditions. Hauling wasn’t easy. Much of the honeysuckle had decided to grow on steep, increasingly slippery banks. We all hung in there and did not fall into the creek– not that it would have made much difference.
Huge thanks to Meg for her hospitality and the care she shows for the natural resources around this wonderful creek. She and Bill, her husband have been generous in selling the easement to the DNR and in their support of SWTU. And to Steve and April, not only for today but for their years of advocacy for conservation and responsible agriculture.
Jim now takes a break from his superb organization and leadership of our work days. He deserves some fun fishing trips and a quiet summer on his and Marci’s prairie and savanna. Jim, thank you for a wonderful spring of worthwhile and fun stream conservation.
Photos courtesy Jim Hess.
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