Day 53 - Inspiration and Information

Restoring twenty acres, although a huge amount of work, offers tons of excitement. I enjoy improving things in nature and love the process of learning and gathering information. It’s busy, but it's a good busy. Ever since I started the outdoor classroom  and trail at my school, I’ve worked to improve it. The transformation has been amazing. Now, knowing I will be able to do something similar on land my family can enjoy whenever we want is a truly amazing feeling. 

However, our interest in working with and learning about the land started well before the idea of a farm ever entered our heads. 

For years, we have volunteered for the Ice Age Trail Alliance. Beside leading Tykes Hike for families, we occasionally are able to break away for trail improvement days. As a family, we remove buckthorn and pull tons of garlic mustard. Additionally, I am always excited to stumble upon a rock wall on the Lapham Peak Segment I helped create. The skills we have learned in these opportunities provide a breadth of knowledge for work on the farm.

We’ve also volunteered for the Retzer Nature Center, although not nearly as much as we’d like. After helping coordinate a collaboration between this awesome nature center and my school,  I became a teaching naturalist for the center and help out with school groups during the summer and at special community events throughout the year. Being around others passionate and knowledgeable about nature is inspiring and helpful on those long days at the farm.

I am a board member for the Wisconsin Association for Environmental Education. Working hand in hand with others in the environmental education field not only improves my skills as an educator, it motivates me to make the farm a nature haven of its own.

I also became a member of Wild Ones. This nature plant group is focused on many things, including restoration, invasive species removal, and the enhancement of habitats through native plantings. These are ideal for our interests and just what Craneview on Plainview needs.

These opportunities provide lots of useful information and inspiration. But to make our property the best it can be, information and inspiration weren't enough.