Constructed 1.5-Acre Open-Water Marsh – Tom’s Story

Constructed 1.5-Acre Open-Water Marsh – Tom’s Story

Agriculture and development have severely reduced the acreage of wetlands across the countryside.  Wetlands support an extraordinary diversity of wildlife.  They trap sediments and nutrient-laden agricultural runoff.  Wetlands serve as sponges for flood waters too. We...
What’s Up with All the Tree Cages – Tom’s Story

What’s Up with All the Tree Cages – Tom’s Story

Prevention of deer browse is one answer.  We protect all the trees and shrubs that we plant.  In the case of some of the oaks, even if they are volunteers sprouted from forgotten squirrel cashes, we generally protect them with 5′ welded wire fence rings.  Oaks,...
Tom’s Story – Streambank Restoration

Tom’s Story – Streambank Restoration

Tom acquired this 87-acre property with its mile of the West Fork in 2003. Since then, a half mile of streambank stabilization work has been done, along with in-stream and other habitat work. This work has been done in stages. The most recent work along 780 feet of...
Mucking Around to Create Wetlands – Construction Details

Mucking Around to Create Wetlands – Construction Details

Enhancing and creating wetlands does a lot of good, providing important habitat, reducing nutrient runoff, and replenishing groundwater. With the many springs and seeps in the Driftless area, there are real habitat-enhancing rewards awaiting property owners. What’s...
Mucking Around to Create Wetlands

Mucking Around to Create Wetlands

With a little low-tech mucking around down-drainage from the springs and seeps many of us have on our Driftless properties, there are real habitat-enhancing rewards awaiting! Helping to enhance and create wetlands does a lot of good … from providing important habitat...