Advocacy Update: Hawks Woods

Shores of Delavan Lake: Update

GLC Tree & Garden Clinic

Save the Date: Holly Ball

Cancelled: Lake Walk

Conservation in the Community

Many Thanks: Volunteer Work Day

Many Thanks: A Tete-a-tete Merci Beaucoup

Hackmatack Update

Groundwater training for area schools

Upcoming Events

On Monday, Sept. 20 the proposal for a Fontana condominium project, which would allow for the transfer of riparian rights to single-family homesites located off the lake and on the opposite side of North Lake Shore Drive, was officially pulled from consideration by the applicant's attorney. In a letter submitted to the Village of Fontana, the attorney stated the project was withdrawn due to technical deficiencies recently identified by village staff.

With the Conservancy having advocated at length for a careful review of the proposal, we commend village staff for listening and for taking the requisite time to formally review the materials submitted. We further commend the village plan commissioners who understood the implications of allowing such a project and who voted to recommend denial of the proposed condominium on Monday, Aug. 30.

For all of you who took the time to attend plan commission and board of trustees meetings in Fontana, your efforts obviously were successful and are greatly appreciated by the Conservancy.

At this point, we urge village officials to continue their efforts and to begin the work of improving the zoning and land-division regulations on the west end of Geneva Lake.

Having received a positive recommendation from the Town of Delavan Plan Commission earlier this month, the conditional use permit application for the Shores of Delavan Lake subdivision was considered and consequently tabled by the Tow of Delavan Board of Supervisors last Monday evening. The Conservancy continues to monitor this proposal to develop a 623-home subdivision near Hwy. F and Mound Road abutting the Delavan Inlet.

Learn tips on how to put your gardens to bed.
&
Don't ruin your trees; learn the right way to prune.

October 29, 2010 from 9:00 until Noon. Lunch will be provided!

Learn how to prepare your gardens and trees for a safe winter and a happy spring. Join us at the Mill Street (398 Mill Street in Fontana) for a day of learning and fun.

Certified Arborist Steve Messick, from Stateline Landscaping, will provide instruction on how to properly trim and prune your trees. Botanica Fine Gardens and Landscapes will be on hand as well to show you how to prepare your gardens for winter so your plants are ready for spring.

Contact Lynn for further details 262-275-5700 or email lynn@genevaonline.com

With the help of Tom Vanderpoel of Citizens for Conservation in Barrington, Ill., the Fontana Garden Club has been gathering seeds from the Duck Pond Natural Area to harvest and spread in the prairie area and oak savanna along Highway 67. Over the past few weeks club members have gathered bottlebrush, jack-in-the-pulpit, tick trefoil, and campanula. The members also have harvested woodland mint, thimbleweed, wild coffee, and wild sunflower

Later in the fall the club will harvest wild lettuce, Indian paintbrush, and zigzag goldenrod. In addition, side oats, planted by the club two years ago, is ready to be harvested and reseeded, something everyone finds very satisfying and exciting.

"This is just the beginning of a success story," said Gail Hibbard, who has led the seed harvesting over the past two years. "Tom Vanderpoel identified several plants in the oak savanna that either we had sown or had remained from the past. We also saw a huge hawk flying around the savanna area. Tom has told us that once we establish a true oak savanna the animal life will begin to return to area. First the plants, then the small animals, and once the hawks can fly and hunt in the area they will be there."

If anyone is interested in joining the seed harvesting, please call Gail at (262) 275-3948 or Carolyn Langner (262) 248-3757 for more information.

"There is no 'I' in team, but we sure are glad there is 'u' in our volunteers!" ~ Debbie Weir

The Conservancy offers up a special thank you to our volunteers who have helped with the gardens surrounding our historic Mill House. In addition to the help we received in August from a group of volunteers, we were blessed with a few more helpers in September.

Thank you to Jamie Sanders and her group of volunteers from Holiday Home Camp and to Jill Wegner. They all helped to pull weeds from our gardens On September 11 and 12.

Things are really starting to shape up and look nice around here all because of the efforts of our volunteers. Your time and effort go a long way and do not go unappreciated. Thanks so much!

Interested in volunteering, inside or out? Call the Conservancy for more information at (262) 275-5700.

The event was well attended, in part thanks to Vince Michael, the John H. Bryan Chair of Historic Preservation at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, who gave an excellent talk. He artfully wove together Chicago architecture and historic lake-area homes and discussed a variety of themes, including the sustainability of preservation.

It was a great event, and we thank all who attended to support the Conservancy.

Staff members from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will host four public meetings this October to seek input from local residents and user groups on the potential Hackmatack Wildlife Refuge.

The meetings will use an open format, allowing members of the public to spend one-on-one time with service staff members to answer questions, offer comments, and provide ideas about the refuge. Each open house is at 4-8 p.m.

Tues., Oct. 12 - McHenry County Government Center Administration Building, 667 Ware St., Woodstock, Ill.

Wed., Oct. 13 - Lost Valley Visitor Center in Glacial Park, Hwy. 31 and Harts Road, north of Ringwood, Ill.

Wed., Oct. 20 - Bristol Municipal Building, 19801 83rd St., Bristol, Wis.

Thurs., Oct. 21 - Lake Geneva City Hall, 626 Geneva St., Lake Geneva

Do you support the establishment of a national wildlife refuge in northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin? If so, sign the petition to keep the project going. A wildlife refuge will promote economic benefits to the citizens of the region, protect unique wildlife habitats, expand recreational opportunities, and protect the region's waterways and drinking water.

For more information about the refuge, visit the Friends of Hackmatack website.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Center for Watershed Science and Education again is offering free groundwater sand tank models and workshops. This is the same workshop that inspired the Conservancy to purchase and provide groundwater models to area schools and civic groups.

To be eligible for the program, two educators from a school or nature center must the complete an application form.

Applications are due Nov. 1. The workshops will be held next year on Jan. 18 at Ledge View Nature Center near Chilton, Jan. 26 at Beaver Creek Reserve in Fall Creek and Feb. 2 at the WGNHS Core Lab in Mount Horeb. Materials provided target grades 6-12. Reimbursement for substitute teachers will be available. View complete workshop announcement.

New this year: Limited funds are available for model repair. If your school or nature center owns a model that needs repair, contact Kevin Masarik of the CWSE at 715-346-4276 or Kevin.Masarik@uwsp.edu to see if your school qualifies.

Upcoming Events

Sept. 24 - 26: Geneva Lake Environmental Agency Classic Car Rally. See some great cars and enjoy the start of autumn on the lake. For more information, visit their Web site.

While you're checking out the classic cars, don't forget the concurrently running Geneva Lakes Antique and Classic Boat Show

Oct. 29: Tree Trimming Clinic at the Mill House. 9:00 AM until Noon.

Dec. 4: GLC Holly Ball featuring the Eddie Butts Band. Call the conservancy at (262) 275-5700 for more information.