🌎 Earth Day, April 22, 2026 | | |
Greetings!,
Earth Day! It's a day to celebrate the amazing planet we live on and renew our resolve to protect our Mother Earth. This newsletter shares a portion of Ken Lonnquist's recent Earth Week visit to Mount Horeb and offers some local and state environmental actions. Spring into action and become an advocate for our planet.
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WHERE: Mount Horeb Public Library
(105 Perimeter Road, Mount Horeb, WI 53572)
WHEN: Tuesday, April 28, 6:30pm
In a time when news is everywhere, all the time, it's important to think about the news we see, and how we interpret it. This talk by UW-Professor Michael Wagner reviews research on fake news, fact-checking, and selective exposure to like-minded media outlets and describes the implications for democracy.
Michael W. Wagner is William T. Evjue Distinguished Chair for the Wisconsin Idea and Professor of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he directs the Center for Communication and Civic Renewal. His work, exploring how individual interactions in the information ecology affect what people believe, what they want, and what they do has been published in prestigious journals such as Science, Journal of Communication, the International Journal of Press/Politics and in books he has co-authored at Cambridge University Press, CQ Press, and Sage Press.
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SWWAP IS PROUD TO HOST AN EVENT FOR THIS
NATIONAL MAY DAY OF ACTION
(CLICK THE IMAGE BELOW AND REGISTER FOR THE EVENT)
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MAY DAY 2026 - 7 PM
AT THE HISTORIC BLUE MOUNDS OPERA HOUSE
(OBERT ALVIN COFFEE HOUSE)
BLUE MOUNDS, WISCONSIN
Folksinger Tom Kastle’s performance of the musical play, "Joe Hill, Alive as You and Me", celebrates the legacy of the martyred poet and labor leader. This event is free and open to the public. (Donations are appreciated to cover cost of venue).
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GET A BUZZ ON
Ken Lonnquist's out of this world performance at the historic District #1 School House Concert featured a send up to Buzz Aldrin and the Artemis Mission. Check out Ken's website HERE.
| | READ, HEED AND CALL YOUR STATE LEGISLATORS | |
DEMAND FUNDING FOR KNOWLES-NELSON | |
Named after two former Wisconsin governors — Warren Knowles, a Republican, and Gaylord Nelson, a Democrat — the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program honors Wisconsin’s bipartisan commitment to land and water protection.
Since its inception in 1989, Republicans and Democrats across the state have championed the program because our land, water, and wildlife don’t have political affiliations. We all want Wisconsin to be a healthy, thriving place to live, work, and play. According to recent polls, 9 out of 10 Wisconsinites support the Stewardship Program!
Knowles-Nelson is currently authorized through June 2026, but it was NOT renewed in the state budget, leaving the program’s future uncertain. We’re urging legislators to pass a meaningful reauthorization that works for Wisconsinites — including restoring full funding for land acquisition. Anything less is Knowles-Nelson in name only.
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Mount Horeb Green Team | Rotary Club of Mt. Horeb | The Mount Horeb Green Team is a community action group promoting sustainability in the community. Check out their many initiatives and consider joining the team. Photo above: Mt. Horeb Bird City recognition. | | | | By the narrowest of margins, the US Senate voted to allow mining in the Boundary Waters watershed. The decision has a probability of affecting the pristine wilderness area. Senator Ron Johnson voted for removing protections for the sensitive area. It passed by one vote 50- 49, all 50 were Republicans. | |
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H.J. Res. 140 passes in the U.S. Senate
Whats next for Boundary Waters protections
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The federal government is moving to roll back protections for the Boundary Waters watershed, and the state of Minnesota has the ultimate power to stop a mine from being built next to the Wilderness.
There are a few ways that the state of Minnesota can stop the Twin Metals mine from being built:
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State regulatory authority - Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the agency that would permit the Twin Metals mine, has the power to say NO by denying an eventual Twin Metals State Permit to Mine request.
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Legislation - Passing a permanent protection bill through the Minnesota Legislature and blocking other bad Boundary Waters bills is critical to achieving lasting protection.
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Litigation - Lawsuits have the power to stop or delay projects and challenge existing state mining standards.
| | | | WATER ALL OVER THE WORLD 🌎 | | This performance by Ken Lonnquist and Henry Boehm was performed at last week's School House Concert. WATER IS LIFE! It needs to be protected. Clean Wisconsin works to protect and preserve precious water for future generations. Go to https://www.cleanwisconsin.org/ | |
Protecting The Region Since 2000 | |
The Driftless is changing. Trails, farms, forests, and prairies face growing pressure. Each year, more of what makes this region extraordinary is at risk. That’s why we act now. We listen to neighbors, guide landowners, and engage with local voices to find collaborative solutions.
The Conservancy prioritizes long-term goals and fiscal responsibility because protecting land in perpetuity demands bold action. The choices we make today will shape the Driftless for generations to come. That’s why Driftless Area Land Conservancy is committed to leading with vision, collaboration, and urgency. Consider joining the conservancy to explore and protect our unique region.
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A FUNDRAISER AT BRIX CIDER 🍎
110 S. SECOND STREET, MT. HOREB
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Join us for an afternoon of protest music to raise money for Voces de la Frontera!
This event will feature performances by political folk-rock duo MaD Mentshn, father-daughter folk cabaret duet Elm Duo, and acoustic-punk queercore performer Blasfemme!
Ten percent of sales during this event will be donated to Voces de la Frontera. Voces de la Frontera is Wisconsin’s leading immigrant rights organization, and has been organizing and empowering immigrant workers and families for over 20 years.Their immigrant worker center that has played a critical role in advocating for immigrant workers rights and progressive policies, including the fight for federal immigration reform, restoring state drivers licenses and in-state tuition equity for immigrant youth, ending collaboration between ICE and local law enforcement, and fighting back against policies that criminalize immigrants and people of color.
We hope you’ll come enjoy some food, drinks, and music for a cause with us!
| | SWWAP DOES NOT ASK FOR SUBSCRIPTION OR MEMBERSHIP FEES, THERE IS NO PAY WALL. IF YOU ARE ABLE, AND WISH TO SUPPORT THE SWWAP ORGANIZATION YOU MAY DO SO BY DONATING BELOW. THANK YOU. | | Thanks to all who have donated in the past,
and those who support us now 💜 | | Contributions to SWWAP are appreciated but not tax deductible. | | | | |
