Tall Pines Conservancy Inc

OUR MISSION IS TO PRESERVE OUR RURAL HERITAGE BY PROTECTING REMAINING ARMLAND, WATER RESOURCES, NATURALAREAS AND OPEN SPACE ADJACENT TO AND IMPACTING NORTHWESTERN WAUKESHA COUNTY.

LAND PROTECTION - IN AN EFFORT TO PROTECT THREATENED FARMLAND MORE QUICKLY IN THE STATE OF WISCONSIN, TALL PINES CONSERVANCY PARTNERED WITH LEAD AGENCIES AMERICAN FARMLAND TRUST (AFT) AND THE NATURAL RESOURCE CONSERVATION SERVICE (NRCS) TO LAUNCH THE WISCONSIN FARMLAND PROTECTION PARTNERSHIP PROJECT. AS A RESULT OF THIS UNPRECEDENTED PROGRAM, $7 MILLION WILL BE DIRECTED TO SUPPORT FARMERS AND LAND TRUSTS IN SECURING CONSERVATION EASEMENTS. TALL PINES INTENDS TO USE ITS SHARE OF FUNDING IN FUTURE YEARS TO PROTECT APPROXIMATELY 1000 ACRES OF FARMLAND IN OUR AREA.TALL PINES CLOSED ON SEVERAL DONATED CONSERVATION EASEMENTS IN 2021, INCLUDING THE LOFY FARM LOCATED IN AN AREA OF HIGH DEVELOPMENT PRESSURE IN THE VILLAGE OF RICHFIELD. THE FARM IS SUBJECT TO A LIFE ESTATE WITH THE RICHFIELD HISTORICAL SOCIETY, PROVIDING FOR FUTURE, UNIQUE COLLABORATIVE OPPORTUNITIES BETWEEN THE TWO NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS.THE MARY & RON PRESERVE AT BEAUMONT FARM PROJECT PROTECTS NEARLY 90 ACRES IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO BEAVER LAKE THAT WAS ONCE OWNED BY THE SIEPMANN FAMILY. THE EASEMENT ENABLES THE PROPERTY TO REMAIN IN AGRICULTURE WHILE INCORPORATING PROTECTIONS THAT PROMOTE WATER QUALITY. THE NEW OWNERS WILL ALSO MAINTAIN A RECREATION TRAIL ALONG BEAVER LAKE ROAD AND HIGHWAY E THAT WILL REMAIN OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. TALL PINES WAS ALSO GRATEFUL TO RECEIVE THE GIFT OF A CONSERVATION EASEMENT ON THE 540-ACRE ORGANIC DUKELOW DAIRY FARM, WHICH REPRESENTS THE LARGEST FARMLAND EASEMENT TO CLOSE IN THE STATE OF WISCONSIN IN 2021. THE FAMILY'S NEIGHBOR, CLAUDEEN MCAULIFFE, WAS ALSO INSPIRED TO DONATE AN EASEMENT ON HER ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE LAND.TPC CONTINUES TO BE A MAJOR PARTNER IN THE OCONOMOWOC WATERSHED PROTECTION PROGRAM (OWPP). THIS PROGRAM ASSISTS LANDOWNERS WITHIN THE WATERSHED IN IMPLEMENTING SUSTAINABLE LAND MANAGEMENT PRACTICES TO REDUCE PHOSPHORUS LEVELS IN OUR RIVERS, LAKES, AND STREAMS. OUT OF THE 70+ CRITICAL SOURCE AREAS THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIED, 33 OF THEM HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED THROUGH INSTALLATION OF BUFFERS, AERIAL SEEDING OF COVER CROPS, AND GRASS WATERWAYS. AS A PRIORITY AREA WITHIN THIS PROJECT, WE CONTINUE TO EXECUTE THE MASON CREEK WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PLAN TOGETHER WITH THE NORTH LAKE MANAGEMENT DISTRICT, SEWRPC, THE WISCONSIN DNR, OWPP, THE TOWN OF MERTON AND CARROLL UNIVERSITY. THE ENGINEERING PORTION OF THE MASON CREEK RE-MEANDERING PROJECT WAS COMPLETED IN 2021 AND WE HAVE RECEIVED FUNDING TO COMPLETE CONSTRUCTION IN THE SUMMER OF 2022.TALL PINES ALSO CONTINUES ITS COLLABORATION WITH FARMERS FOR LAKE COUNTRY, A PRODUCER-LED MENTORING GROUP, TO EDUCATE AND IMPLEMENT BEST PRACTICES ON LANDS WITHIN THE OCONOMOWOC RIVER WATERSHED, INCLUDING THE AERIAL SEEDING OF COVER CROPS. IN AUGUST 2021, FFLC WAS ABLE TO RESUME IN-PERSON EDUCATIONAL GATHERINGS WITH A SOIL HEALTH FIELD DAY WITH GUEST SPEAKER WAYNE FREDERICKS.TPC PARTNERED WITH MANY OTHER OUTSTANDING NON-PROT ORGANIZATIONS AND GOVERNMENT ENTITIES IN 2021 TO MEET MUTUAL LAND CONSERVATION GOALS. THESE GROUPS INCLUDE THE MID-KETTLE PARTNERS, OZAUKEE-WASHINGTON LAND TRUST, THE ROCK RIVER COALITION, THE NATURE CONSERVANCY, WAUKESHA GREEN TEAM, WAUKESHA COUNTY LAND CONSERVANCY, SAVANNA INSTITUTE, GATHERING WATERS, AND THE LAND TRUST ALLIANCE.

LAND MANAGEMENT - OUR OUTREACH STRATEGIES INCLUDED WORKING WITH LANDOWNERS IN THE TOWNS OF OCONOMOWOC, ASHIPPUN, MERTON, DELAFIELD AND ERIN, TPC CONTINUES ITS ANNUAL MONITORING OF ITS PROPERTIES EACH FALL AND HAS CONDUCTED INVASIVE SPECIES REMOVAL WORKDAYS. TPC ALSO MAINTAINS A SEPARATE FUND TO SUPPORT CONSERVATION EFFORTS AT CAMP QUAD, WHICH IS SUPPORTED BOTH MONETARILY AND THROUGH VOLUNTEER HOURS CONTRIBUTED BY CURRENT AND RETIRED QUAD EMPLOYEES.TPC CONTINUES ITS PARTNERSHIP WITH THE TOWN OF MERTON IN IMPLEMENTING A CONSERVATION PLAN FOR OCONOMOWOC RIVER CONSERVANCY PARK. THE HUNT ELDRIDGE MEMORIAL OVERLOOK AND HEALING NATURE TRAIL WERE TWO OF THE PROJECTS FEATURED DURING AN OPEN HOUSE HELD AT THE PARK IN JULY. WE HAVE ALSO WORKED WITH VOLUNTEERS FROM THE BOY SCOUTS AND LAUDATO SI TO ESTABLISH CONNECTOR TRAILS THROUGHOUT THE PARK AND WITH OWPP AND WAUKESHA COUNTY ON A REFORESTATION TREE PLANTING PROGRAM.DUE TO A GENEROUS GRANT BY THE KETTLE MORAINE GARDEN CLUB, TALL PINES WAS ABLE TO DESIGN, MANUFACTURE AND INSTALL AN EDUCATIONAL SIGN AT OUR NORTH LAKE PROPERTY THAT COMMUNICATES THE IMPORTANCE OF VERNAL PONDS WITHIN OUR ECOSYSTEM.

EDUCATION AND OUTREACH - TPC KICKED OFF 2021 WITH THE VERY SUCCESSFUL VIRTUAL EVENT AN EVENING WITH MICHAEL PERRY TO BENEFIT TALL PINES CONSERVANCY IN FEBRUARY. THE SHOW SPOTLIGHTED SEVERAL CONSERVATION STORIES, INCLUDING ZWIEG MAPLE ACRES, THE ESCHWEILER LAKE PROPERTIES AND THE MASON CREEK REMEANDERING PROJECT AS WELL AS HUMOROUS AND TOUCHING STORIES FROM MICHAEL PERRY. THE EVENT ALSO LAUNCHED AT $150,000 MATCHING GRANT PROGRAM FUNDED BY THE ZIEGLER FOUNDATION AND PROVIDENT REALTY.AFTER A RELATIVELY QUIET 2020, THE SUMMER OF 2021 WAS FILLED WITH A VARIETY OF EVENTS ENTHUSIASTICALLY RECEIVED BY NEW AND LONG-STANDING FRIENDS OF TPC. THEY INCLUDED THE 7TH ANNUAL OWPP CHAIN OF LAKES PADDLE WITH MORE THAN 75 PARTICIPANTS AND A SUCCESSFUL OPEN HOUSE AT OCONOMOWOC RIVER CONSERVANCY PARK BOTH HELD IN JULY. A SPECIAL STEWARDSHIP SOCIETY RECEPTION WAS OFFERED AT THE PICTURESQUE ESCHWEILER PROPERTY, WHERE JOHN GEHL WAS PRESENTED WITH THE ROD NILSESTUEN AWARD FOR WORKING LANDS PRESERVATION BY GATHERING WATERS WISCONSIN'S ALLIANCE FOR LAND TRUSTS. AFTER GOING VIRTUAL IN 2020, THE 13TH ANNUAL RIDE TO THE BARNS RETURNED WITH PERFECT WEATHER AND NEAR-RECORD ATTENDANCE. OUR COLLABORATION WITH LAKE COUNTRY CLEAN WATERS CONTINUED AS WE CO-HOSTED THE ANNUAL HEALTHY LAKES CONFERENCE, WHICH RETURNED TO AN IN-PERSON FORMAT WITH A MOVE TO A SEPTEMBER DATE. WE CONTINUE TO PROMOTE OUR LAND PROTECTION WORK IN THE COMMUNITY THROUGH OUR SPONSORSHIP OF THE CHAMBER'S SUMMER FARMERS MARKET IN OCONOMOWOC. WE ALSO HOSTED A TABLE AT THE WAUKESHA COUNTY GREEN TEAM'S SUSTAINABILITY FAIR AT RETZER NATURE CENTER IN AUGUST. TALL PINES CONTINUES TO CONDUCT PRESENTATIONS FOR VARIOUS CONFERENCES, GARDEN CLUBS AND COMMUNITY AND MUNICIPAL ORGANIZATIONS.TALL PINES WAS DELIGHTED TO HOST PHOTOGRAPHY FRANKIE GARR THROUGH A YEAR-LONG RESIDENCY PROGRAM CALLED ARTSERVANCY, WHICH PAIRS LOCAL ARTISTS WITH LAND TRUSTS. FRANKIE FOCUSED HER WORK ON CAMP QUAD, KOEPKE FAMILY FARM, OCONOMOWOC RIVER CONSERVANCY PARK, AND SERENITY FARM.