What’s in a name? The Wisconsin DNR’s Endangered Resources Program has been rechristened the Bureau of Natural Heritage Conservation. Now, I don’t know about you, but I’d rather be kicking some invasives’ butt with the Endangered Resources crew than resting like a folded doily in some mothballed bureau. What’s not to like about ER? I can’t even pronounce BNHC!

Long live the ER team! It was less than 2 years ago that Jared Urban began coordinating with local volunteers to adopt a State Natural Area and yesterday we saw the maturation of that effort in a splendid workday at the Eagle Oak Opening SNA. ER crew leader Jessica Renley, along with Jared, Adam Stone, Scott Stipetich and Don Dane formed the nucleus of a high powered and highly organized effort to remove red cedar and other unwanted trees from the Eagle Oak Opening.

We had a great group of volunteers!

Jared explains the who, what, where, when, why and how.

The ER team had prepared four different work zones ahead of time by clearing small areas and stacking brush piles. Shortly after we divided into teams, we had 4 fires raging, 3 sawyers sawing, 2 poison daubers and whole lot of brush piling. Actually, there were 6-8 chainsaws ripping and everyone was busy doing their part.

Scott, Jess and Izak.

Jill and her boys work one of the hillside piles.

Don and Zach Kastern led the team at the base of the hill and they had some challenges getting the red cedar out from under telephone lines.

Alex stokes the fire.

Back at the top of the moraine Jared, Maggie, Jim and Nannette worked the pile.

Time, sparks, sawdust and cedar flew as we cleared the hillside.

Some of the volunteers left around noon, as we stopped for lunch and talked about what was working; or not.

Jess set the pace all day!

The DNR crew, Zach and I worked until around 4:00pm.

I didn’t want to leave; I felt totally at peace and savored every minute of it.

Watch the Volunteer Page for the next chance to work with the DNR’s Endangered Resources team at one of our beautiful State Natural Areas.

See you at The Springs!