RSVP for Ice Age Trail Habitat Improvement

media release: We're maintaining habitat diversity and ecosystem quality along the popular Table Bluff Segment. We will remove invasive brush and trees from the oak savannas and woodlands to prepare for future broadcast burning. Provided there is adequate snow cover, we’ll burn the brush piles, too. We’re focusing our efforts at the two Alliance-owned Preserves along the segment: Swamplovers’ and Holmes.

Join us each day, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Friday, January 20, through Saturday, January 21, and learn what it takes to maintain the lush prairies and savannas of these Preserves. We need brush haulers and trained swampers (volunteers who create brush piles) and brush-cutters. NPS certified sawyers are welcome and encouraged to bring their own chainsaw and PPE.

All Talents and Abilities Welcome! No experience is necessary. There's a role for volunteers of all ages and abilities. Certified and friendly staff and volunteer crew leaders will get you started right away with hands-on training.   

Registration

To help us plan this event with your needs in mind, please register by Tuesday, January 17, 2023 by 5:00 p.m. Limit: 50 volunteers. Lunch is provided each day. Parking is at 8837 Scheele Road, Cross Plains, WI 53528. Parking may be limited this time of year, so please consider ride-sharing. There is no overnight camping or base camp for this project.

Bring winter-appropriate footwear. If snowy/icy, consider snowshoes and ice cleats (Micro Spikes, Yak Traks, etc.) for secure footing. 

• A plastic sled and/or backpack for hauling gear may prove helpful.
• Appropriate ‘near-fire’ clothing (no synthetics - leave that fancy coat at home). 
• Clothing to dress in layers (for warmth and to keep dry).
• A daypack, sunscreen, and leather gloves.
• A water bottle(s) and a thermos filled with a warm beverage.
• Certified sawyers are welcome and encouraged to bring your own saw and PPE.

Looking Ahead

February 3 – 4, Cross Plains Segment, Dane County

Buckthorn removal will continue as we clear Mammoth’s Back and preserve its remnant hilltop prairie. Provided there is adequate snow cover, we'll burn brush piles, too. Learn more and register.

February 10 – 11, Gibraltar Rock Segment, Southern Columbia County

We will remove invasive brush and trees from the remnant prairie and savanna to reveal the viewshed of Lake Wisconsin and the Baraboo Hills. Provided there is adequate snow cover, we’ll burn brush piles, too. Learn more and register.  

Questions? Please contact Steve Pence (email: steve@iceagetrail or phone: 608-798-4453 ext. 225) or the IATA office (800-227-0046). We hope to see you soon!