Projects

Many exciting projects are beginning in the Preserve. Several Friends' projects are described below. Other projects are in the planning stage.

For a summary of the many projects occurring in the Preserve, see:

Preserve Restoration and Field Work

Eastern Bill's Woods Project

The Eastern Bill's Woods Project includes both the Friends Entrance Project and the Upper Bill's Woods Planting Project discussed below.

Eastern Bill's Woods Project

Friends Entrance Project

Work has begun on a new Friends planting project, the restoration of native understory in the wooded areas near the entrance to Picnic Point and Bill's Woods. Some of the invasive alien buckthorn trees and shrubs marked by Friends volunteers have already been removed by the University of Wisconsin Grounds Crew, and we have ordered native understory trees, shrubs, ferns and woodland wildflowers to replace them. We will remove the rest of the invasives, gradually and incrementally, but only as native plantings are available to take their place. We hope to make this Entrance Project a showpiece for the Preserve and for the Friends of the Preserve. For additional information on this project see

Friends Entrance Project

Upper Bill’s Woods Planting Project

The planting project begun by community volunteers in 2000 is continuing in the damaged former compost area in upper Bill's Woods. The Friends are working to reclaim the site as a natural area, replacing the alien invasive weeds with native species. For additional information on the planting project see

Breeding Bird Project

The purpose of the bird study is to identify the bird species and their seasonal abundance in the Lakeshore Nature Preserve as well as their microhabitat preferences. This study will create a base line to allow the detection of bird population changes within the Preserve. The study’s goal is to enable future students and scientists to determine how the restoration of the Lakeshore Nature Preserve affects the bird populations of the Preserve. The project welcomes volunteers at all experience levels. For additional information on the Lakeshore Nature Preserve Bird Projects see

Breeding Bird and Bird Habitat Study

Other Animal and Plant Projects
(to be developed)

We would like to create and maintain a permanent database of the animals (e.g., mammals, reptiles and amphibians; butterflies, dragonflies, and other insects) which are found in the Lakeshore Nature Preserve. We also want to collect similar data on plants and mushrooms, and phenological information about them (dates of occurrence, of flowering and the like). Please keep records of such data so that when we establish our databases your records can be added to them. If you are interested in being responsible for the collection and maintenance of any of these data, please contact Glenda Denniston, 231-1530 or denniston@wisc.edu.

Native Plant Nursery
(project on hold)

The Native Plant Nursery Project is on temporary hold, until a site for it is chosen by the Preserve Committee and until we find volunteers willing to organize the project, help prepare the site, and care for the plantings. We strongly encourage anyone interested in helping to start this important project to contact Glenda Denniston, 231-1530 or denniston@wisc.edu. For additional information on the proposed nursery see

The Native Plant Nursery

Lakeshore Nature Preserve Archives Project
(to be developed)

This is another project waiting to be developed. We are looking for volunteers who are interested in helping to locate, catalog, and copy historical documents related to the Campus Natural Areas. Several Friends members have started this work independently. We also are attempting to locate scientific notes and studies, both published and unpublished, that have been done in the Lakeshore Nature Preserve over the years and, where permissible, copy them. In the future we hope to obtain space for a reading room, where both University faculty and students and the general interested public can have access to Lakeshore Nature Preserve records in one convenient location. If you are interested in leading or becoming involved in a project of this kind, contact Glenda Denniston, 231-1530 or denniston@wisc.edu.

For information about other projects, see the Events & Activities dropdown menu above or contact:
Glenda Denniston Volunteer Committee Phone: 608-231-1530 denniston@wisc.edu	Cathie Bruner Manager, Campus Natural Areas UW-Madison Physical Plant 608-265-9275 cbruner@fpm.wisc.edu

go to top of page