Natural Heritage Land Trust marks 25 years of conservation success

The Natural Heritage Land Trust, formerly the Dane County Natural Heritage Foundation, will commemorate 25 years of voluntary land conservation success at its Stewardship Awards Celebration at Monona Terrace on May 1, 2008 starting at 5:30 pm.

From its humble beginnings in 1983, when two “For Sale” signs on Lake Mendota Drive sparked community action that led to the purchase of 2.6 acres of land that became Wally Bauman Woods to the present time, the Natural Heritage Land Trust has been an important institution for Dane County and the surrounding area. Since 1989 members of the Natural Heritage Land Trust have gathered twelve times to honor conservation leaders with stewardship awards. The recipients of the 2008 awards are:

Pat Hitchcock will be honored for her exemplary role in the stewardship of Donald County Park. Pat’s passion for the beautiful landscape of southwestern Dane County has created a jewel in the county’s park system. Even before her farmstead became a part of the park, Pat developed outdoor education programs using a system of hiking, skiing, and horseback riding trails. Now her farmstead is part of the 540-acre park and she has made her home the nerve center for the active corps of volunteers who maintain the park’s trails and restores its natural areas (last year alone the volunteers donated 4,400 hours of work). Glenn Spaay will present the award to Pat Hitchcock.

Bill Lunney will receive the Bolz Lifetime Achievement Award recognizing four decades of leadership in the conservation of parks and natural areas in Dane County and Wisconsin. From speaking at the very first Earth Day celebration in Dane County in 1970, to his leadership roles with the Natural Heritage Land Trust, the Wisconsin Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, the Friends of Wisconsin State Parks, the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin, and Friends of Capitol Springs State Recreation Area, to his current work on the Dane County Parks Commission (where he has served for 21 years), Bill has devoted a lifetime to improving the quality of life for Dane County residents. Tom Bolger will present the award to Bill Lunney.

Bill O’Connor will be honored for the pivotal role he has played in building the land trust movement in Wisconsin. He helped found the Natural Heritage Land Trust, Gathering Waters Conservancy, and other land conservation organizations in the state. Through the Private Conservation Action Coalition he spearheaded efforts that allowed land trusts to partner with the state to protect thousands of acres of parks, natural areas, and trails statewide. And he helped make it possible for private landowners to engage in voluntary land protection agreements that permanently protect vital conservation resources in the state. Tia Nelson will present the award to Bill O’Connor.

Swamplovers, otherwise known as Jerry Goth, Tom Kuehn, and Lee Swanson, will receive awards for establishing a landmark conservation area along the Ice Age National Scenic Trail in the Black Earth Creek valley. As a result of their outstanding vision and motivation, they have permanently protected and restored 433 acres of land northwest of the Village of Cross Plains. Their property provides a critical link in the Ice Age Trail. The extraordinary effort of these three people is a shining example of private citizen action that will provide generations of benefit to the citizens of Dane County. Carla Wright and Anthony Varda will present the awards to Swamplovers.

25th Anniversary Stewardship Awards Celebration

To commemorate its 25th anniversary, the Natural Heritage Land Trust is hosting the Stewardship Awards Celebration, May 1, 2008, 5:30 pm at Monona Terrace. The evening will be one of recognizing stewardship, dinner, and networking. We expect more than 150 supporters to attend the event. Tickets: $40 in advance, when purchased prior to 4/28/08, or $45 at the door. To purchase a ticket for the Natural Heritage Land Trust’s 25th Anniversary Stewardship Awards Celebration, please call 258-9797, email Martha@nhlt.org, or go online to www.nhlt.org/give.

Founded in 1983, the Natural Heritage Land Trust, a non-profit organization, is a leader in protecting natural areas and agricultural lands in Dane County, Wisconsin, and surrounding areas.

Natural Heritage Land Trust Stewardship Award Winners (1989 – present)

1989
Dr. Alice Watts
Owen Gromme
Walter Frautschi
Norman Anderson
The State of Wisconsin Stewardship Fund

1991
Bud Morton
The Lalor Road Community
Dr. Joseph Hickey
The Ice Age Park & Trail Foundation

1992
Marian Kerr
Howard & Nancy Mead
Black Earth Creek Watershed Association

1994
Bob and Jack Bolz
Hazel Knudson
Delma Woodburn
Chuck Cell
Naomi Whiteside

1995
Emily H. Earley
Mark & Sue Martin
City of Middleton & Dane County
Black Hawk Council of Girl Scouts

1996
Jane Licht
William G. Lunney
The Village of McFarland
Lake Waubesa Conservation Association
Nathan Stier & Michael Young

1997
Harold “Bud” Jordahl
Dick Wagner
Bernadine & Cecil Smith
Token Creek Watershed Community
Youth: Middleton High School Environmental Studies Program

2000
Kathleen Falk
John Lussier
Wisconsin State Journal
Town of Dunn

2001
Individual: Irene Silverwood
Youth: Winnequah Middle School
Non-profit: Madison Audubon Society
Lifetime Achievement: Emily H. Earley
Government: Town of Windsor
Coalition: The Bolz Conservancy Park Coalition Eugenie Mayer-Bolz Foundation/The Bolz Family, Don Tierney-Savannah Village, Village of Waunakee

2002
Individual: Walter Scheidegger
Youth: O’Keefe Middle School
Non-profit: Upper Sugar River Watershed Association
Business: Midland Builders
Lifetime Achievement: Harold “Bud” Jordahl

2004
Individual(s): Glenda Denniston and Roma Lenehan
Group: Town of Merrimac
Lifetime: Phil Lewis, Ken LePine, Jean Meanwell

2006
Terri Potter
Dave Ripp
City of Sun Prairie
Town of Middleton

2008
Individual: Pat Hitchcock
Bolz Lifetime Achievement Award: Bill Lunney
25th Anniversary Achievement Award: Bill O’Connor
Special Project Award: Swamplovers, also known as Jerry Goth, Tom Kuehn, and Lee Swanson

Natural Heritage Land Trust Founders
(Originally known as the Dane County Natural Heritage Foundation)

Norman C. Anderson
Wally Bauman
Robert Bolz
Katherine Bradley
David Chandler
Nan Cheney
Diane Derouen
Cal DeWitt
Bill Feist
Eve Galanter
Sharon Gaskill
Sherman Geib
Nancy Heiden
Joseph Hickey
Hugh Iltis
Bea Kabler
Bill Lunney
Nancy and Howard Mead
Jean and Walter Meanwell
Mary Mullen
Bill O’Connor
Kenneth Opin
Harry and Sylvia Peterson
John Proctor
Louise and Walter Scott
Joe Sensenbrenner
Irving Shain
Horace Tenney
Mary Trewartha
Bill Wineke
Si Widstrand
Martin Wolman
James Zimmerman