Take a Stake in the Lakes
June 1, 2012 Recap
Roughly 170 Lands’ End employees met at Olin Park to kick-off the 25th anniversary of Take a Stake in the Lakes. Employees were welcomed and thanked by representatives from the Dane County Lakes and Watershed Commission, the WI Dept. of Natural Resources, and Lands’ End SVP Kasey Mazzone.
Press Conference
A press conference featuring Dane County Executive Joe Parisi and Lands’ End CEO Edgar Huber was covered by WISC-TV (CBS) and WKOW-TV (ABC).
Lands’ End volunteers worked at six different locations throughout Madison and Middleton.
Olin Park – Madison
Volunteers removed trash from the shoreline and in the park as well as pulled invasive species from Olin Woods and planted approximately 50 native plants.
Lands’ End volunteer at Olin Park
Results: A dumpster was filled with more than one ton of invasive species pulled from Olin Woods and approximately 50 native plants were planted, over 25 bags of trash were filled from shoreline clean-up, and half a dumpster was filled with algae raked out of Lake Monona.
UW Lakeshore Nature Preserve – Madison
Volunteers removed trash from the shoreline and planted native wildflowers to catch runoff before it reaches the lake.
Results: More than 1100 native wildflowers were planted along the lakeshore and hillside to reduce runoff into the lake.
Town of Westport – Rural Dane County
Volunteers hauled brush for prairie restoration along Lake Mendota in the Jackson Landing area. This site is the cleanest source of water that flows into Lake Mendota.
Results: Volunteers worked throughout a 15 acres site clearing over one ton of brush along with spraying and marking weeds for future removal before the prairie is replanted with native grass and flowers.
Holy Wisdom Monastery – Middleton
Volunteers cleared invasive species and trimmed trails to help reduce runoff nitrates into the Lake Mendota watershed.
Results: Volunteers walked five square acres, pulled invasive species, cut down invasive trees and treated the area to prevent future growth. All plants were left in place to compost and fertilize the prairie.
Pheasant Branch – Middleton
Volunteers cut and cleared invasive plants and trees from the hillside above the wetlands and springs at the Pheasant Branch Conservancy.
Results: Stacked nearly 20 piles of trees & plants (8’x8’x8’ stacks) that were treated and will be burned to prevent spores from growing back.
Lakeview Community Park – Middleton
Lands’ End volunteers skimming algae at Lake View Park
Volunteers used rakes and tools to skim algae from Lakeview pond, as well as plant native wildflowers and distribute bark to a park area.
Results: Workers waked the mile circumference of Lakeview Pond, pulling out over one ton of algae and planted hundreds of wildflowers to prevent future runoff from reaching the pond.
