Friends of County Grounds Park October 2021 Updates |
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Cool weather for fall colors and buckthorn slaying! |
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Sanctuary Woods Buckthorn Slaying - We've already had 3 buckthorn invasives removals this fall and made great progress clearing the historic waterfalls and sunken gardens (see additional photos at the end of this email).
- Thanks to all the volunteers - with special recognition to the Tosa East youth who have been joining us
- Thanks and congratulations to Charlie Mitchell who recently studied, tested, and achieved the herbicide applicators license. Charlie joins Caitlin Reinhartz in having this critical state certification needed to keep buckthorn away after it has been cut
- We still have 4 events this fall - consider joining other volunteers for a few hours of hand-sawing, dragging, and stacking invasive buckthorn
- No experience necessary; onsite equipment / training / supervision provided - just bring work/gardening gloves
- Consider if you know a group looking to "get out somewhere" together
- Consider forwarding this email to others who may be interested
- Registration requested for planning purposes
- Especially seeking volunteers for 10/2
- For more information, email friendsofcountygroundspark@gmail.com
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Outdoor Classroom - Fall Colors Tour on Saturday October 16th at 2pm - Caitlin Reinartz is the Forester at the Urban Ecology Center Riverside Park branch, attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and studied Forest Management.
- This tour is timed near the traditional peak of fall colors for Milwaukee County
- The tour will provide answers to questions like: Why do leaves turn colors? How do they change color? Why do individual trees change to certain colors while others change to a completely different color?
- Trees in the park include oak, maple, ash, elm, basswood, hickory, ironwood, and black cherry.
- This one-mile hiking will also include a forest with many trees aged more than 200 years old.
- This tour may especially appeal to families with youth.
- Cameras are recommended, but not required.
- This is the last of the 30 scheduled tours for 2021
- Registration requested for planning purposes: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/179508062447
- Got questions? More tour details are included at the end of the newsletter
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Citizen Science - Tree Survey - Appeal for Volunteers - We have an active group of volunteers who meet several times per month to identify the genus and species and measured the diameter of all the trees over 4 inches in diameter
- We have completed about two-thirds of the area of Sanctuary Woods
- We have have already recorded the data for over 2200 trees in a special program on a tablet computer that is capable of displaying the data in geographical format
- Our objective is to gather enough data to do a report that would support a forest management plan to be done/approved by the County that would sustain the health of Sanctuary Woods which is essentially an old growth forest, with many very large native oak, maple, basswood and cottonwood trees
- The data will tell us which species are not replacing themselves. We have already noticed that while the magnificent white oak is prominently present in sizes of 20 to 30 inches diameter, there are no smaller trees of that species coming up to replace them. This might be a species that should be planted under the management plan.
- Please everybody consider joining the fall tree survey effort. We could use several more volunteers. It's always a good time of fellowship and fresh air in the pleasant Woods.
- No experience needed and we have all the equipment (including specialty tape measures). Everyone is matched with someone who can identify trees - and teach you how to as well!
- If you are interested in further logistics please send an email to to Charlie Mitchell at cmitchell@wi.rr.com
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**photo credit: Danielle Pahlisch Parks Wildlife & Tours - A special thanks to all our September tour guides: Nancy, Charlie, Caitlin, Barb, Jim, Sheila, and Danielle
- It has been an incredible month of tours in the park, and nearly every one has included special wildlife sightings
- Included above is a rarer photo of a coyote in our park - this was taken during the Coyote Tour - what a treat!
- Pictures each week are included on our Facebook site at: https://www.facebook.com/friendsofcountygroundspark
- Thanks to our nature photographers who donate their gift of our park's natural scenes for everyone's enjoyment - including recent submissions from Eddee, Danielle, Kim, Dawl, Violette, and Angie.
- Do you have fun photos of our park? They don't have to be award-winning - just capturing something cool (plants, wildlife, sunset, etc). Consider emailing us your photos, or posting directly to our Facebook page
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Outdoor Classroom - History Tour on Saturday October 16th at 10am - Tour guide Jonathan Piel has extensively researched and documented the history of the relics in County Grounds Park
- As tour guide, he includes photos, maps, stories that bring over a century of park history alive including visiting many of the remaining remnants
- The ~1-mile guided hike includes several pre-designated stops: 120-year old field-stone stairs, split-boulder pavilion, 110-year-old 6' stone dolphin vase, former waterfalls, old-growth oak savanna, former sunken gardens, and extensive onsite mental health hospital history
- As featured in, Michelle Madden’s “111 Places in Milwaukee That You Must Not Miss”.
- 2021 tour includes 1950s video in addition to historic photos
- Free registration requested for planning purposes.
- This tour is nearly full, signup now if interested:
- Got questions? More tour details are included at the end of the newsletter
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Holiday Gifts - Do any of these apply to you:
- Know someone who is hard to buy gifts for?
- Do you, or that person love County Grounds Park?
- Are you seeking a tax deductible donation?
- Consider making a donation in any amount to The Friends of County Grounds Park - a 401(c)(3) organization
- We will customize and email you a donation certificate for printing and presentation - suitable for framing
- Donations go to support our ongoing efforts to install permanent signage in the park, supplies to protect young trees after buckthorn removal, outreach, and education
- For instruction on the donation method and certificate process, send an inquiry email to friendsofcountygroundspark@gmail.com
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Friends of County Grounds Park (FOCGP) Monthly Meetings - We meet monthly, but will be modifying times/locations as the sun sets earlier.
- We are currently addressing a larger issue about permanent signage and rules for the park - in coordination with the Parks Department - consider if this is an issue you'd like to participate in!
- Standing committees/topics include park improvement, communications, wildlife, outdoor classroom, and health/wellness
- For more information on times/locations to join the monthly meeting, email friendsofcountygroundspark@gmail.com
- FOCGP monthly meetings are usually the 2nd Monday of every month, all year long
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More Information Regarding Guided Tours - Tours are free, donations are appreciated. The tour guides are volunteering in support of the non-profit Friends of County Grounds Park (initiatives include conservation, invasives removal, signage, trail building, and communications). Donations to the Friends group of any amount are appreciated and $4/person per tour is a wonderful value. If so inspired, donations can be made:
- Again, these tours are free, any donations are based on your inspiration
- County Grounds Park has no formal address, but can be found and navigated to via Apple/Google/Waze Maps searching “Sanctuary Woods Parking”. That parking circle is 0.5 mile north and west of 87th & Watertown Plank Road. Eventbrite requires an address, but this address only gets you close. The tour begins and ends at the parking lot in the center of the park, see park map at: www.countygroundsfriends.org
**Monarch tour has a different meeting point included with the registration - Dress for the weather. There are no onsite restrooms. Consider bringing bug spray. Tours are suitable for people of all ages.
- Most tours are ~1 mile, with regular stops. The paths are not suitable for mobility impaired. Special access tours can be facilitated by contacting the email below.
- Friendly pets on leash are welcome on the following tours: History, 1950s Life on the Grounds, Tree Identification, Forest, and Fall Colors
- Pets are not allowed on the following tours: Cemeteries, Forest Therapy, Birding, and Monarchs
- Got questions? Send email to friendsofcountygroundspark@gmail.com
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Here are a few more pictures of the wonderful volunteers and progress in our buckthorn removal efforts in 2021 |
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Reporting Suspicious Activity - Despite a spike in 2020, this year has fortunately had less abuse and vandalism
- Together, we must remain vigilant so perpetrators don't believe there is a lack of use or oversight
- The Milwaukee County Grounds is patrolled and enforced by the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Department
- Please be part of the solution and directly report any suspicious activity:
- Sheriff: 414-278-4788
- Fire or medical emergency: 911
- Thanks for helping take clear ownership for our shared space
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Sincere appreciation for a community that has been such good stewards for this precious space. We have a lot to be proud of, the ability to make a difference, and hope for the future. Thank you!! |
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