Welcome to DCCL!
Did you know that the League is the second oldest conservation group in the State of Wisconsin? If you are concerned about the future of Dane County’s natural heritage, you will want to attend the Dane County Conservation League’s 21st annual fundraiser banquet. Proceeds from the event support educational scholarships, local DNR wildlife habitat projects, purchase of trout stream bank easements, prairie chicken recovery efforts, the raising of pheasants, and the construction of Blue Bird, Wren, Wood Duck, and Bat Houses
DANE COUNTY
CONSERVATION LEAGUE NEWS
HIGH WAY CLEAN UP
PROJECT
Want to get some fresh air and
exercise? How about joining some fellow DCCL members picking up
trash on the League’s section of Highways 18 & 151? We will
meet at the pheasant farm, 2497 County Road J, Verona at
8am on Saturday, May 8. Bags and
safety vests will be provided. This shouldn’t take more than two
hours. Here’s a chance to improve the environment if you
missed your opportunity on Earth Day. Thanks for considering.
Contact Denise Johnson at 513-1026 for more information.
PHEASANT FARM UPDATE
The farm will be open every Saturday
beginning on May 1 at 8am. Most of the time we will be done
with any chores by 10am. Some of the first work to be done is
repairing and mowing in the pens. At a recent Board meeting is
was decided to change the work hours requirement this
year. Any member who paid dues in 2020 will receive an
allotment of birds for 12 hours of work. Same for new members
who join in 2021. Not all hours need to be made at the farm.
Hours apply if you have worked on any League activity. No
credit is given for less than 12 hours of work or more than 12.
However, anyone is welcome to put in more than 12 hours or less
than 12. The day old chicks are scheduled to arrive about May
31, but it could be sooner if any become available.
OPEN SEASONS
SPORTSMAN’S EXPO
(formerly Deer and
Turkey Expo)
The League hosted an information booth
at the Expo held recently at the Kalahari Hotel in Wisconsin
Dells. Large crowds attended each day and the League was able
to get our message out to dozens of interested attendees.
Thanks to Richard Brye for manning the booth for most of the
three days. It is not known yet if the Expo will return to the
Alliant Energy Center next year or remain in the Dells. The
Board approved to have a booth again next year at this event
regardless of the location.
BIRD NESTING STRUCTURES
Thanks to Jerry Paffenroth, Bob and
Linda Degnan, and a few others for installing, repairing and
cleaning some bluebird and wood duck houses in Dane County. You
may be able to spot some of these as you roam about the county.
PRAIRIE CHICKEN
ASSISTANCE
The Board recently approved a request
for some financial help from DNR staff who maintain our land in
the Buena Vista Wildlife Area for preserving prairie chickens.
We will be able to assist with the purchase of equipment,
supplies and the hiring of a summer intern. These are all
things that the League has done in the past. It should be noted
that funding is possible because of payments from placing many
acres in the federal Grassland Reserve Program in the past 10
years or so. Investment income from those funds allows us to
make these donations as well as underwrite other League
endeavors.
PRAIRIE ENTHIUSIASTS
PROJECT
Recently the Board was approached by
the Prairie Enthusiasts organization to see if the DCCL might be
interested in assisting in a land purchase and habitat project
in eastern Iowa County. No decision has been made by the board
at this time for any type of assistance. We plan to visit the
property sometime in June or July to see if the League can be of
any help. Whatever decision is made, it would not mean that the
DCCL would own any new land. More information will be coming
and members will be given a chance to visit the property along
with some Board members if this project continues to move
forward. If any donation were made, it would not jeopardize any
other League
activities.
HUNTER SAFETY CAPS
Again this year, the League will be
donating blaze orange caps with the words “DCCL Hunter Safety”
to the Hunter Education classes led by Ray Anderson and his
colleagues as well as some classes held at the Deer Creek
Sportsman’s Club. We thank the folks who take the time to teach
hunter safety to students of all ages.
DCCL BOARD MEETINGS
During the past
year of COVID-19 the Board has been meeting via Zoom. Starting
in May, the Board will be meeting at the Deer Creek Sportsman’s
clubhouse near Mt. Vernon. The Board meets the 3rd Tuesday
of each month.
NO
MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS ARE SCHEDULED DUE TO COVID-19
FUTURE MEETING SITE
The Board held its July meeting at the Deer Creek Sportsman’s Club near Mt. Vernon. We will hold all future Board meetings there at least through the end of the year. The Board meets the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 7p.m. and members are always welcome. It is not clear if we will be able to hold general membership meetings this fall or not due to COVID-19 restrictions. We will keep you informed.
We need Your Likes ON Facebook!! We are trying to get a E-Newsletter going and by liking our Facebook page we can make sure you are kept up to date with all the latest events.
All Family members are welcome to join in on the fun!!
Pheasants will be given out starting aug 31st. And Remember you must :
- Volunteer at least 10 or 15 hours on DCCL projects.
- Paid 2021 membership DCCL Application PDF
- Your Bird can be picked up in Late August.
- All Left over birds are sold to the Public
Bat House Project.
In April we initiated our first bat house
project successfully with the help of many members at the farm cutting
the pieces, staining, and painting them . We built 20 nursery bat
houses and 10 single bat houses. Collaborating with the DNR
Heather Kaarakka, a bat biologist, and Darren Marsh, director of the
Dane County Parks who picked specific sites; we installed four bat
stations at four county parks. Installation took about 6 hours,
and those sites are: Yahara Heights, Token Creek Park, Babcock
Park, and the Lower Mud Lake Natural Area. Two bat houses are also
installed at the farm. We still have some nursery and single houses for
sale for anyone interested. Nursery houses are $20 and single
houses are $10.
As a conservation league our highest priority
is to help preserve threatened or endangered species. Bats in Wisconsin
have seen a huge reduction in population due to White Nose Syndrome
(WNS). Our recourse is to help supply summer habitat for bats on
city, county, and private land to help them recover. With
growing interest, continuation for bat houses next year requests should
be done in March with site selection by April whether citizen, private
club(s), city, county, or state.
New Go wild DNR Website To Purchase a license, permit or register you kill.
Need a place to hunt this fall? Want to know where the pheasants are stocked each week? or even find a parking lot. check out this great hunting tool. http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/lands/fflight.html
Membership meeting are starting in September
Board meetings are the third Tuesday of the month at 7:00pm.
Membership meetings are the fourth Tuesday at 7:00pm. With Guest Speaker To discuss farm issues and conservation efforts. Everyone is Welcome to join us.
All Meetings are held at the VFW Hall, 133 E. Lakeside St.(off John Nolen drive). in Madison.