Groundswell Conservancy

Town of Dunn Food Cart Night is today! Enjoy an evening of delicious food, prairie walks, and good company while supporting local vendors. Check out the array of carts serving food and beverages for purchase:

🍛KindThailand
🍄‍🟫Chef at Large Catering
🍗Laila's Food
🍺Delta Beer Lab

Join us tonight from 5:30–7:30 p.m. at Don & Carole Schmidt's Oak Grove Farm, 4544 Ironside Drive, Madison, WI. Click the link in our bio for event info & RSVP! 🌾

Sponsors: Sustain Dane, Vitruvian Farms, Custom Metals, Inc., Ho-Chunk Nation

📷: Ben Jones

"The grasses are lush and green, and wildflowers are bursting into bloom. A field of flowers may not look particularly rugged, but prairies are among the most resilient ecosystems on Earth. They have evolved to withstand severe drought, flooding, fire, and countless other challenges while continuing to thrive. Just take a look at the intricate beauty of this rattlesnake master flower head up close. Beneath that delicate appearance is a plant perfectly adapted to life on the prairie."

From the intricate beauties of nature to fascinating creepy crawlers, see what's happening outside in July's Nature Now by Land Management Director BJ Byers. 🌱

Read the full blog post here: https://groundswellconservancy.org/july-rattlesnake-master-northern-flickers-house-centipedes/

📷: BJ Byers

Can you believe Prairie Partners only have two weeks left in their internship?

Recently, Groundswell hosted our annual picnic to celebrate this year's Prairie Partners interns! Groundswell supporters met with the crew to hear about the impact this program has left on them and to see the impact of their restoration efforts.

One of this year's interns, Emily Udomtanapon, told Groundswell about how this program has opened her eyes to outdoor restoration work. Prairie Partners gave her the opportunity to care directly for the land and see the impact of her work in real time. Now, she hopes to pursue conservation work in her future career.

This internship works in partnership with Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Ice Age Trail Alliance, and Riverland Conservancy. Every Wednesday, interns work with Groundswell staff at Westport Prairie and Patrick Marsh. Prairie Partners help protect valuable landscapes like these while gaining professional experience in conservation.

Thank you to this year's picnic sponsors and all the supporters who make this program possible!

📷: Mario Quintana

Have you ever explored the bluffs near Lake Wisconsin? 🧗

On our latest field trip, members of the Escher family took us on a tour of the prairies, caves, and woodlands of Cave Bluff Conservancy in Lodi, WI! Attendees learned about the local volunteer-led efforts to restore native habitats along this bluff and enjoyed the lookouts over Lake Wisconsin.

Cave Bluff is a privately-owned property open to public. Thanks to the Escher family, it is protected forever through a conservation easement with Groundswell. This bluff forms a special corridor of upland woods, remnant prairies, wetlands, and an undeveloped shoreline on the lake.

Thank you to the Escher family for sharing this beautiful landscape with us and for all of the hard work they've put into restoring it!

A special thanks goes out to our field trip sponsors for making programs like this possible: Quercus Land Stewardship Services, Spencer Real Estate Group, First Business Bank

Join Groundswell for our next event, Town of Dunn Food Cart Night, next Wednesday from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Oak Grove Farm. Check out our FB event for more info and RSVP!

📷: Mario Quintana

Good food. Great prairie views. 🚚🌾

Join Groundswell Conservancy and hosts Carole and Don Schmidt, along with Custom Metals, for the Town of Dunn Food Cart Night! Enjoy an array of delicious food carts and a walk through the prairie.

When: Wednesday, August 5, from 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Where: 4544 Ironside Dr (formely Don's Rd) Madison, WI

Guests can purchase food, drinks, and dessert from local vendors. Then settle in for a picnic, play some lawn games, or walk the trails through a beautifully restored native prairie with friends, family, and neighbors.

Entry to this event is free. RSVP is encouraged, but day-of attendance is welcome. We hope to see you there!

https://groundswellconservancy.org/event/2026-town-of-dunn-food-cart-night-2/

This event is part of Wisconsin Land Trust Days. Thank you to our event sponsors: Sustain Dane, Vitruvian Farms, Custom Metals, Inc., Ho-Chunk Nation

📷: Ben Jones

One week ago today, Rotary Club of Sun Prairie hosted a ribbon cutting to celebrate The Story of Patrick Marsh monument. This project, created in honor of land surveyor and former Rotarian Bill Wambach, funds a new viewing platform and ten interpretive panels that share the history of Patrick Marsh.

Our Executive Director Heidi Habeger and Land Management Director BJ Byers led a tour of the marsh with project partner Mark Smith for community members who attended the dedication.

Since 2004, Groundswell has been protecting and managing land at Patrick Marsh. Thanks to a partnership between Groundswell, City of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, USA, and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Patrick Marsh is now a City of Sun Prairie conservancy park. Alongside Sun Prairie, Groundswell will continue to manage the wildlife habitat and connect the community to this special place for future generations to come!

We hope you'll visit Patrick Marsh to enjoy its new scenic overlook and learn more about the story of this vital wetland ecosystem. 🚣

Photo credits: Heidi Habeger

Next stop: Appreciating the special places we've protected, together. 🚍🌿

On Thursday, our staff and board took a bus tour to explore some of the lands Groundswell has protected in the Black Earth Creek Valley! Throughout the afternoon, Groundswell visited several properties we've protected in this special landscape, hearing stories from partners, and seeing firsthand the impact of our conservation work.

Since 2001, Groundswell has protected over 1,200 acres of land in the valley through the purchase of land and conservation easements. Black Earth Creek is known for its rich farmland and high-quality trout. Some of the properties we visited included Hickory Hill in Cross Plains, Pine Quarry, and Wolf Run Trail in Mazomanie.

Our afternoon ended with a picnic celebration at the Wolf Run Trail shelter and trivia en route back to the office. Staff and board went home with prizes sponsored by Gentle Breeze Honey Inc, Gathering Waters, Wonderstate Coffee, Madison Sourdough, Ace Hardware, Just Coffee Cooperative, and Sunday Produce.

Thank you to all the staff and board, partners, and trivia sponsors who made this tour possible! It's always special to see the impact of our conservation work alongside the people who made it possible.

Photo credits: Mario Quintana, Heidi Habeger

There’s something special happening at Adam D’Angelo’s farm – and it all starts with fruit trees.

Earlier this week, Groundswell staff and members of our Board and Stewardship Committee toured Elizabeth Rock Farms, a 21-acre property in the Town of Verona, owned by beginner farmer Adam D'Angelo. This property marks the first farmland ownership project for Groundswell. Working with American Farmland Trust, Groundswell acquired the farm, protected it with a conservation easement, and sold it to Adam at a more affordable price.

Adam has big plans for his farm - and he's already got a lot underway! From hundreds of pawpaw trees to different varieties of Chinese chestnuts, Adam showed us the trees he is growing on the property. His goal is to provide high-quality, local access to fruit and nut trees in the Madison area.

Thank you to Adam for taking us on a tour of his farm! Groundswell is thrilled to be apart of stories like these.

Photo credits: Heidi Habeger, Adam D'Angelo

“It’s a bad day to be a parsnip.”🪏
– Breyden Noble, Prairie Partners Intern.

This year's Prairie Partners are back for the summer, helping to restore Groundswell's preserves! Every Wednesday, ready with tools in hand, these five interns visit our properties to remove invasive species like wild parsnip, collect seeds, and learn about restoring native prairies.

Take a moment to check out what's happening in the field, from prairie partners to hemiparasites and mycorrhizal networks, in this month's Field Notes with Farm & Land Manager Sam Douglass.

Read the full blog post here: https://groundswellconservancy.org/july-field-notes-from-sam/

Photo credits: Sam Douglass, Amanda Dambrink