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As the incoming Chairman
of Geneva Lake Conservancy, I thought it appropriate to introduce myself
and outline things I would like to bring to an already strong and active
organization. I am dedicating my time
to GLC because I am passionate about the Geneva Lake area. I grew up summering
here from Rockford, Ill., and for the last six years have lived full time
in Linn Township on the north shore of the lake. I am half owner of a
25-acre plot of woods I would like to protect. I have a business in Elkhorn,
and because I am here I see day to day how the area is growing and changing
- in some ways good and some bad. I have been on the Board of the Conservancy
for five years, helping it become a more professional and disciplined
organization. I am involved in fund-raising and Board development and
closely follow the flow of issues related to land protection and development.
The irony is that I want Walworth County to develop. Our area needs a
stronger economic base to be healthy into the future. It's how the area
develops that worries me. In short, I am just like many of you who live
in our area and care deeply about what happens. My personal goal is to
continue to improve the Conservancy. First, I strongly support our efforts
to be one of the first land trusts to become accredited by the Land Trust
Alliance, our national organization. The accreditation process itself
is helping us to improve. It also assures our members and friends that
we hold ourselves to high standards. This credibility is very important
because development pressure is creating a need to protect more land at
a faster pace or our natural lands will disappear forever. Farmland is
particularly at risk. Also, the services developments require can strain
the capacities and resources of our cities, villages, and townships. Second, we need to stay
active in influencing development and not be afraid to let people know
of our accomplishments. We often influence a great deal but are reluctant
to take credit for improving how land is developed. By being more outspoken,
we educate concerned citizens and allow them to help. Lastly, I would like to
make the GLC more responsive and friendly to its member constituent base.
We need to increase our Board to be more broadly based, more professional,
and more involved in the organization. In addition, we must reach out
and listen to the views of all who care about the area so we can we do
what is right and ensure support into the future. Please provide me with your thoughts or feedback by calling the Conservancy and letting Katie Sullivan know what you are thinking. She will make sure both Jim Celano, our Executive Director, and I hear your opinions, and, if appropriate, we will respond to you. Thank you, |
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At its April 14 meeting,
the Geneva Lake Conservancy Board of Directors unanimously elected Charles
Colman, former Vice Chairman, to the position of Chairman. Stepping into
Charles' Vice-Chair position is Fontana resident Bob Klockars. Both Charles
and Bob have served as Board members since 2002 and 2003, respectively. We are excited about this
new leadership and the ever-changing energy that gives this organization
life. Charles' focus and dedication to the lake and to the vitality of
the communities that surround it promise to make his tenure as Chairman
stimulating and challenging. We also thank departing Chairman Chuck Ebeling for his dedication and tireless efforts on behalf of the preservation and protection of Geneva Lake. Although leaving as Chairman, Chuck will remain on the board and will put his past PR work to good use and head up the Conservancy's Communication Committee, helping spread the word of the Conservancy's good deeds! |
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Picture it, if you
will . . . It's a sultry July
evening at Lake Geneva Country Club. You arrive by car,
having just absorbed the club's breathtaking entrance drive, or you
arrive by boat. Either way, you come upon the club's beautiful front
lawn where the sounds of Marvin Gaye, Bob Marley, and Van Morrison
greet you as you walk toward the entrance. Yes, you quickly realize how unique it is to be at this historic lake property, but in such a relaxed atmosphere. You step up to one of many bars where one of the Jimmy Buffett look-alike bartenders offers you a cocktail, wine, or perhaps one of their freshly made mai tais. |
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Who to talk to first? More than 200 guests are spread out among the glittering palm fronds, and you see so many familiar faces. Do you talk to your neighbor, or maybe a member of the Conservancy staff to share your thoughts on preservation of local open spaces? After talking to
your neighbor and a Conservancy member, not to mention 20 other good
friends, you are invited to dinner, where you approach two buffet
tables. What a spread,
you think. There is chicken glazed with pineapple-spiced rum; pork
rubbed with brown sugar, roasted over a charcoal spit, and seasoned
with horseradish banana coriander aioli; sautéed green beans
with Maui onions and sesame seeds; and rosemary roasted red-bliss
potatoes. And, is that pineapple upside-down cake?! During the fabulous dinner you hear about the 2006 accomplishments of the Conservancy and how it put your donations to work in real, visible, and tangible ways. You are pleased to hear what this year's plan entails, and you quickly become motivated to throw in a bid on one of the few unique live-auction items. |
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Dinner concludes with
your last sip of coffee. The timing is perfect because now you are
really energized and ready to party. Just as the thought of dancing
hits you, the dinning room doors are opened and there sits a wonderfully
decorated stage where the band JP and the Cats starts playing. Wow, you think.
This is not your ordinary charity-function band. These guys are serious,
seasoned musicians. "Honey, let's
dance." After getting your
groove on to the band's version of Neil Diamond's "Cherry, Cherry,"
you learn there are only 10 minutes left to put your raffle ticket
in one of the many silent auction buckets. You turn to your wife:
"I'd love to win that golf outing basket." She replies, "Well,
you only put one ticket in there, and I put 20 in the doggie daycare
and spa basket, so I'm going to take home the goodies. Not you, Mr.
Thrifty!" Two hours and one
last rumrunner (to drown your sorrows after losing that golf outing
to someone else) later, you have your final dance with your wife.
This time it's a slow song. As you spin her one last time on the dance
floor, you take another glance at the club and think how remarkable
the decorations are and how wonderful it is to see such a unique location
converted into an island-themed party venue. You head toward the
lake via the tiki torch-lined path, and your other party-going friends
help you in their boat for the slow ride home. During the cruise
home all of you swap notes on the party, feeling good about helping
the Conservancy in its most crucial fund-raiser - and yet getting
so much in return. If this story sounds
too good to be true, ask one of last year's guests. Or, if you agree
this is an accurate depiction, hurry up and reserve a spot. Each year
we sell out earlier, and we want to see you at this year's Mai Tai
No Tai. This event has sold out the past three years, and prospective guests were unfortunately turned away. Invitations for the July 14 event will be sent out June 1. Click here for more information, sponsorship opportunitites and a sneek peek of this year's auction items! |
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This April proved to be a difficult
month for donations. Even with our keeping year to date expenses down
by over 8% as compared to last year, our projected April income, according
to past giving levels, is far lower than anticipated. If you feel you
can help us, we encourage you to send in a donation now. And what are we doing to make this
situation better? Due to a delay, we will be sending out renewal notices
this month as opposed to April of last year. We have also secured a
volunteer to add names to our member database to increase the number
of supporters, and will be working to secure more foundation support
for the organization. Please show your support by making
a tax deductible contribution. We depend upon your donations to continue
and expand our conservation successes. Click here
to see all the ways you can donate - either online, by post, or in person. |
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Join the Conservancy
and the Village of Fontana Park Commission on June 16 to discover and
uncover the trails and natural treasures of Geneva Lake's West End!
From 10 a.m. until noon,
the Conservancy will host an open house at our offices in the Douglass-Stevenson
Mill House at 398 Mill St., Fontana. Additionally, the Village is offering
guided tours of the Hildebrand Nature Conservancy. This beautiful piece
of land, which the Conservancy has helped protect with a conservation
easement, has undergone extensive restoration and contains a Class 1
trout stream as designated by the DNR. Bring the family and
visit with us as we welcome summer to the lake. As part of the Conservancy's
cooperative with the Chicago Wilderness' Leave No Child Inside campaign,
there will be outdoor activities aimed at reconnecting our children
with nature and fostering within them a greater environmental awareness.
We will also have informational tours of the Douglass-Stevenson Mill House, and the Mill House Pavilion, as well as information on native plantings and local hiking and biking trails. We want to welcome you to the Conservancy, show you who we are, why we care and what we are doing to protect our environment. Click here or call the Conservancy (262) 275-5700 for more information. |
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The Conservancy is a member of Chicago Wilderness' (CW) Executive Counsel, an alliance of public and private organizations working together to protect and restore biodiversity in the Chicago metropolitan region. As such have agreed to take part in its Leave No Child Inside campaign, a public awareness campaign based on a growing national movement generally known as "Leave No Child Inside." This movement has been popularized by Richard Louv's book, Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder. |
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The book and movement recognize the growing body of scientific evidence demonstrating how important direct contact with the outdoors is to healthy childhood development, with emphasis on such health issues as ADHD, child obesity, creativity and cognitive functioning. The Chicago Wilderness Leave No Child Inside campaign will leverage opportunities to promote awareness and enjoyment of local natural resources as well as the importance of biodiversity conservation. The campaign will be launched on June 16, 2007 in a two-phased approach. Phase one will involve a high-profile event or series of events designed to bring general awareness to the issues. Phase two will immediately follow with sustained, detailed programming designed to inspire a) nature-related experiences and behaviors in target audiences across the Chicago Wilderness region, including increased time outside in nature settings such as parks, gardens, preserves and open lands, and b) active participation in local conservation and nature programs. To find out more about Leave No Child Inside and the Chicago Wilderness Consortium, please visit www.chicagowilderness.org. |
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By James V. Celano III I recently read a newspaper
piece that followed the housing moves of a young family. Their story
began in Chicago's neighborhoods, then on to one or two stops in the
near western suburbs, and for now has landed it in the farthest westerly
reaches of "Chicagoland." You know, near Iowa. The moves were precipitated by, among other things, a growing family's quest for better schools, more bedrooms, more house, and, ironically enough, more open space. |
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The final quote was in fact that this particular individual, while standing behind his newly built home, in the newly created subdivision, in what will someday soon become his grass-covered backyard, was living his dream - open views across farms and fields stretching for miles in most every direction (interrupted only by the other subdivisions growing in the distance). I remember a comment from long ago attributed to Bruce Graham, then head of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, at that time one of the largest architectural firms in America. He was commenting on our insatiable quest for farmlands and other open space. His lament was the lack of intelligent land-use decisions. Our urban cores practiced the efficient use of limited space and evidenced such in the vertical nature of our living and working spaces. This however was not the case with our suburbs. Our urban vertical mentality was being replaced with a horizontal approach, extending far out from these urban cores. This was, as he saw it, a waste of infrastructure and unnecessary extended travel. Additionally, it placed vital and productive farmland in jeopardy. At the time, I could
not fully appreciate the wisdom of his comments. I was newly into my
profession as a real estate developer and sardonically assumed it Graham's
plug for more of his firm's soaring skyscrapers. Recognizing wisdom
comes slowly to some of us. This is not so much
a continuation of Graham's lament inasmuch as it is a review of our
society's response to his and others' similar expressions of frustration.
What have we learned over these past few decades about land use? Are
we making progress that can be defined as such? On the other hand, are
we simply "rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic?" Well, I am, for the
most part, an optimist. Except for my occasional embrace of a curmudgeon-like
outlook brought on by bad weather, poor decisions, and an intermittent
crankiness, I tend to look for the silver lining, if you will. Dreams of living next to and viewing open space are growing a bit more complicated, however. It's not that we have no more open space to share and enjoy, it's that we are beginning to see the signs of an end to that privilege. As our population continues to grow, so does the pressure on our open spaces. The more farmland we destroy, the more pressure and reliance we place on those lands remaining in production. This pressure results in us requiring more from that remnant, and that often results in the need for more-damaging agricultural practices. A heavier use of fertilizer, pesticides, and other additives will be required to gain more out of our dwindling farm fields. All of this to address our ever-increasing need for food production to feed our growing nation and the world. The pessimist might see this as the beginning of the end. I prefer to see this as just past the end of the beginning. |
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Many wonderful people are giving voice to a multitude of alternatives, choices, and options that we as dreamers can actually put into practice. These options will help ensure a continuation of those things we enjoy without much thought. Nevertheless, it is essential that we make all of this not only available to the consumer but automatic as well. Think of it like this: Do you remember when seatbelts, disc brakes, safety glass, and the like were considered options in your car? Now they are standards no new car is without. We must begin to think the same way with our development activity. Rain gardens, bio swales, the preservation of natural contours, wetland buffers, native habitat restoration, porous paving systems, and on and on should be treated in the exact same fashion when new development is proposed. Sustainable use of our natural resources is the goal. Moreover, where possible, redevelopments, whether in an urban or rural locale, should be carefully examined to see which, if any, of these features can be incorporated into those plans. |
 Bioswales are a series of low mounds and troughs that keep rainwater on the site, eliminate runoff and increase groundwater infiltration. Photo courtesy of EduTracks: Green Building & Sustainability Education |
| Is this a reasonable approach? I would hope so. After all, it took many years for the now-standard auto safety features to be considered as necessary and unquestionable as four tires and an engine. The difference here is that while an automobile is still a choice, clean water and clean air are not. | |
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By Katie Sullivan Geneva Lake is worth
$321 million in spending to the local and regional economies, according
to the study by professors Russ Kashian, Mark Eiswerth, and Mark Skidmore
at the University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Fiscal and Economic Research
Center. With value like that, the incentive to continue the preservation
of this natural resource should be high. However, the question should be asked: Is that the only incentive? $321 million is a significant amount of money, but is that the lake's true value? Can the value of Geneva Lake be boiled down to mere numbers? Should it? |
 Lovely views of Geneva Lake from Covenant Harbor. |
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Economics governs our
municipalities, and if the monetary value galvanizes the communities
around the lake to work cooperatively, to make decisions that affect
the lake together, then we have achieved a significant victory. Indeed,
the survey, which is available here,
revealed some interesting trends among our constituents including a
strong opposition (by more than 75%) to additional sub-division development
in Geneva Lake. Nevertheless, should
the environment be an economic incentive? Why not, as New York Times
bestseller Freakonomics, by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner
suggests, everything else is. What is the value of the lake? Why do
we work to preserve it? Is it because of the $321 million in local spending
that Walworth County would have to find elsewhere were the lake to disappear? No. We protect Geneva Lake because it is a value unto itself. We protect it because it is the essence of that which is greater than we are. Thirty years ago, this organization was built on fond memories and a strong desire to see a local treasure kept as pristine and cherished as it was in years past. Now, the rest of the world seems to be catching up with us. The green movement is using any possible incentive to encourage the protection of our vanishing and precious resources. This movement is a wonderful phenomenon, and one the Conservancy must use to its advantage. What must be remembered is that it is but one tool at our disposal, not the tool. That which we are protecting has the definite potential of being mislaid within this singularity of purpose, lost to the incentive frenzy. |
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We are not protecting the lake and all the natural beauty that surrounds us because there is a dollar value inscribed somewhere beneath the surface. |
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Yes, protecting the
lake has a tangible return on the investment of time, energy, and money.
That the lake remains is the return. That the lake is clean is the return.
The satisfaction and pleasure we each take in the beauty of our area
are the return. There is nothing greater than that. The value of Geneva Lake is the lake itself. It is our lake. It is our home, it is our memories, it is the essence of this place. Don't let it slip away. |
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By Terry Quinn, Development Specialist Walworth County country
roads are well known to me, and whenever possible I take these "roads
less traveled," and, as Robert Frost suggested, it has made all
the difference. For as I have traveled these roads, so have my children.
They have been awakened to the splendor of the natural beauty that surrounds
us and have come to love the rural area in which we live. On one such county trunk road the other day my 10-year-old daughter suddenly proclaimed, "Look around you!" I did, and I saw the gently rolling terrain dotted with freshly tilled farm fields, forests with just a hint of green sprouting on the branches, and bright blue skies overhead. |
 Beautiful views at the Town of Linn Community Nature Park |
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She insisted again,
"Look around you!" I asked her, "What do you want me
to look at?" As plainly as a child can see, she replied, "It's
so pretty out here. I don't want it to disappear. The land and trees
should never be destroyed. I want it to be like this when I grow up."
Ah, wisdom from the mouths of babes. I took another good look around me and saw that, yes, it was still the land of gently rolling farm fields, forests, and streams. But, I couldn't help but feel her dream was in jeopardy. We live in a very popular area, and the natural beauty of the landscape we all enjoy can - and does - disappear so quickly. One only needs to travel between Lake Geneva and Elkhorn, Woodstock, Burlington, Delavan, Walworth, Janesville, Waterford,
Wilmot, Spring Grove, and Antioch to see the development and land-for-sale
signs. Something needs to be
done, but what? Well, Geneva Lake Conservancy is working to preserve,
protect, and conserve the region's land and water resources so future
generations, like my daughter, can enjoy our area's natural resources
as they are today. We work to maintain a proper balance between agricultural,
residential, commercial, and recreational land uses threatened by urban
sprawl and shortsighted development. Call us if you are interested in
putting a voluntary land protection agreement on your property. We need your help to keep these roads less traveled from becoming highways. Share our vision, and lend your support for preservation by becoming a supporting member of Geneva Lake Conservancy. If not for yourself today, then for the children who will live here tomorrow. |
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By Katie Sullivan Okay, so the Geneva Lake Conservancy is only in phase two of its application for accreditation, but we did spend over a month in an intensive research and review of the Conservancy's various documents and policies. The process is admittedly complex, and with good reason - if all goes well, this will give the Conservancy a seal of approval from our leading national organization. It is the least we can do to ensure the documents we submit are as complete and representative of this organization as possible. |
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Nevertheless, on April 17, the
GLC brought to the post office a bankers box containing three of the
six 3" ring binders that contained the behemoth that was our
application. Not that it was a bad application; as the person partly
responsible for it, I believe it to be a timeless work of remarkable
genius. Now that we have received the verification
of that precious box's arrival, the Commission has confirmed that
the Conservancy may proceed to the next phase in the process. As part
of this next phase, the Commission is accepting signed, written comments
from the public on pending applications. This means you, as our adoring
public, get to tell the Commission exactly what you think of us. Comments
must relate to the GLC's compliance with the accreditation indicator
practices. These practices address the ethical and technical operation
of a land trust. For a full list of indicator practices, please visit
www.lta.org/accreditation/practices.htm. To learn more about the accreditation program and to submit a comment, visit www.landtrustaccreditation.org. Comments may also be faxed or mailed to the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, Attn: Public Comments: (fax) 518-587-3183; (mail) 112 Spring St., Suite 204, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866. Comments on the Conservancy's application will be most useful if posted by July 15. |
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After a bit of a faulty start, the warm weather has finally arrived to the lakes area. And with it comes spring cleaning, party planning, and property monitoring! This newsletter's wish list is dedicated to three of our focuses this summer: land protection, Mai Tai, and our favorite old girl, the Mill House. Land Protection
Mai Tai
The Old Girl
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