Two New Properties & Record Attendance at the Annual Meeting

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Dear Friend,

I thank everyone who attended WCLC’s 2018 Annual Meeting, where we had record attendance—more than double that of three years ago. I am inspired by everyone’s incredible commitment and support for land conservation. You are truly the reason we are successful!

I hope you enjoy reading about our recent protection of two more properties—the Murn Genesee Creek Preserve and the Arboretum Conservation Easement, the Davis Preserve Wetland Restoration Project, and about one of our committed interns, Michaela Borkovec.

Remember that Earth Day is right around the corner! Help us celebrate on Saturday, April 21, between 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. at Good Harvest Market in Pewaukee. Enjoy family activities, a treasure hunt, and awesome samples! Good Harvest will donate 5 percent of the day’s purchases to WCLC, and shoppers will have the option of donating their 5 percent discount as well.

Thanks,

Cheryl White

Executive Director

53 ACRES PROTECTED!

Murn Genesee Creek Preserve &

Arboretum Conservation Easement

Waukesha County Land Conservancy has protected two more properties totaling 53 acres: Murn Genesee Creek Preserve and the Arboretum Conservation Easement.

The 26 acre Murn Genesee Creek Preserve was donated by Don and Lisa Murn; the 27 acre Arboretum Conservation Easement was donated by Kings Way Homes and Craig Caliendo. These properties are part of our Genesee Creek Project Area and help protect the water quality of the high-quality cold-water stream, which is home to diverse fish and mussels.

I want to thank Don, Lisa and Craig for their commitment to land conservations!

Record Crowd Attends WCLC's 2018 Annual Meeting

On March 7, WCLC members and friends gathered in record numbers to celebrate WCLC’s accomplishments. The meeting began with a social hour featuring WCLC’s educational displays and partners’ displays. Following a delicious dinner, we announced our next acquisition -- the Meyer Property, an imperiled oak opening in the Mukwonago River watershed. Aaron Feggestad spoke about Waukesha County’s globally imperiled oak ecosystem and the importance of prescribed burns and invasive species removal to saving this keystone species, which serves as the backbone of the ecosystem. Without it, the entire ecosystem would fail. More than 500 species of insects and wildlife depend on the oaks for life.

I would like to thank board members Pamela Angst, Joe Nolan, and Riene Wells, who were elected for a three-year term of service.

Thank you to everyone who attended and made the night memorable.

We look forward to seeing you all next year!

View Annual Meeting Photos Here

DAVIS PRESERVE WETLAND PROJECT

Restoring a Highly Functioning Wetland

on the Mukwonago River

WCLC secured an $886,000 grant from the Wisconsin DNR to restore the 52-acre Davis Nature Preserve from a drained agricultural land to a healthy wetland along the Mukwonago River. The grant includes a $300,000 endowment for long-term stewardship to ensure perpetual maintenance of the wetland.

We submitted a comprehensive wetland restoration plan to the Army Corps of Engineers and EPA at the end of January, and plan to begin restoration later this year.

To learn more about this project, click on the education link displayed above!

INTERN & VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT

Michaela Borkovec

Michaela assisting with well installation on the Davis Nature Preserve as part of WCLC's Wetland Restoration Project.

Michaela Borkovec is a graduate student at the UW-Milwaukee School of Freshwater Science. As a stewardship intern at WCLC, she has donated more than 400 hours of volunteer service in the past year.

She has accomplished a tremendous amount of work for WCLC, including creating a plan for our spring and summer conservation easement programs, facilitating program improvements, and conducting monitoring visits. She also helped install monitoring wells and collected data for the Davis Preserve Wetland Restoration project.

When asked what she likes most about interning at WCLC, Michaela said, “WCLC has given me the opportunity to use my own creativity with planning projects, recruiting volunteers, and working with other team members in carrying out projects. Working alongside the WCLC staff, I have gained leadership and project management experience that I can take with me forever. Everyone at WCLC is extremely kind, helpful, and wants to help everyone succeed in any way that they can.”

Thank you, Michaela, for everything you do! We are lucky to have you.