Driftless Bus Tour: A number of Kiap-TU-Wish members took part in the recent Driftless Tour which featured four projects in our area this year. Organized by Duke Welter and Jeff Hasting and funded by TUDARE, the packed bus and caravan of several other vehicles made stops at Wilson,Hay, and Gilbert Creeks near Knapp before wrapping things up at the Von Holtum easement on Plum Creek. As a chapter, we should feel proud of the amount of volunteer effort which went into each of these projects.
CPR/First Aid Safety Training: In order to be in compliance with WIDNR regulations while conducting volunteer workdays on state owned lands, CPR/First Aid Safety trained individuals need to be present to help with any accidents or emergency situations which might arise. The certifications which a number of our volunteers achieved during training two Octobers ago expired, and another certification class was held on Saturday, October 25th at Juniors in River Falls. Fourteen volunteers went through training in order to ensure compliance for holding workdays again this season and next.
Von Holtum Easement on Plum Creek: The original plan for the Von Holtum easement on Plum Creek was for it to be a three-year project. Nate Anderson’s WIDNR crew finished more than anticipated this year, and are now entertaining plans of completing the remaining stretch of stream next summer. Having used up all the rock which he had on site for this year’s stretch, Nate and his crew shifted gears and used their excavators to continue clearing box elders from the banks downstream from the restored section. Nate has plans to continue this clearing for a few more weeks, weather permitting. Have no fear, there will still be plenty of box elders for us to cut when we begin our winter brushing work.
Greenwood Elementary Service Learning Day: I have been in contact with Steve Papp, a fourth-grade teacher at Greenwood Elementary in River Falls. Steve would like to have a service learning day for the entire fourth-grade class at Greenwood where the students would help out with a brushing project by dragging and stacking box elders or buckthorn which would be cut in advance by Kiap-TU-Wish volunteers. I am currently working with Kasey Yallaly and Steve to come up with a suitable site somewhere in close proximity to River Falls where we could reasonably manage a group of 60+ students, plus their teachers and parent chaperones.
