Milwaukee Area Land Conservancy

10/09/2026

🌳 ROLL UP YOUR SLEEVES & HELP NATURE THRIVE! 🌿

Want to make a difference in your community? Join the Milwaukee Area Land Conservancy (MALC) for a morning of fresh air, teamwork, and giving invasive species the boot! 🥾🌱

We’re heading to Sidney Woodlands Preserve in Glendale to tackle invasive buckthorn and we could use a few extra helping hands!

🌳 Buckthorn Removal Volunteer Workday

📅 Saturday, October 17, 2026

⏰ 9:00–11:00 AM

📍 Sidney Woodlands Preserve | Glendale, WI

🚗 Directions: Navigate to N. Dexter Ave. & N. Sidney Place, near 27th & Silver Spring.

🌱 Why does it matter?

Buckthorn might look harmless, but this invasive plant crowds out native trees, wildflowers, and other important vegetation. Removing it gives our native landscapes room to grow and helps protect the wildlife that depends on them! 🦋🐦

🧤 What to bring:

* Gardening gloves
* Long sleeves and pants
* Sturdy shoes
* Bug spray
* A willingness to get your hands a little dirty!

🛠️ We’ll provide the w**d wrenches, you provide the muscle!

🌧️ Rain date: Sunday, October 18, from 12:00–2:00 PM, if Saturday’s weather doesn’t cooperate.

💚 Ready to lend a hand? Please send us a message to RSVP so we can make sure we have enough equipment for everyone.

Two hours of your time can make a lasting difference for our local natural spaces. 🌎

09/27/2026

🌳 Planting in Memory of Chris Zapf 🌳

Yesterday, MALC volunteers gathered to plant a beautiful Bur Oak in honor and memory of our longtime supporter, Chris Zapf, who passed away unexpectedly on August 24.

Chris was a valued supporter of MALC and conservation in our community, and we’re grateful to honor her memory in a way that will continue to grow for generations. 💚

The purchase and planting of this Bur Oak also supports the Wehr Nature Center oak restoration project, helping restore and protect our native oak habitat.

A beautiful day, a meaningful tribute, and a tree that will stand in Chris’s memory for years to come. 🌳

09/20/2026

🌳 A Walk Through Fitzsimmons Woods! 🌿
On September 12, nature lovers gathered for a beautiful walk through Fitzsimmons Woods as part of Nature’s Treasure’s Remnant Beech Woods Walk!

Guided by Howard and Larry, attendees explored the unique features of this special woodland and learned more about the natural treasures that make it worth protecting.

Thank you to everyone who joined us and to our wonderful guides for sharing their knowledge and passion for nature! 💚

📸 Enjoy a few highlights from our walk!

09/04/2026

You are invited to join MALC for a free guided walk through Fitzsimmons Woods in Franklin. This event represents MALC's participation in a new week-long nature series by Restoring Lands conservancy, called "Nature's Treasures."
Register here for Remnant Beech Woods Walk.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeLHPR6sPiswEYWUeAIYM_vRyj_PJVoqRPVELlCzOcPCVvTtQ/viewform

Full calendar of events Sept. 8-13.
https://restoringlands.org/events/

09/02/2026

🌾 Rewilding in Franklin and seeing restoration take root! 🌾

We had a wonderful time exploring Ryan Creek Prairie during our Land Trust Days event and sharing the story of how this former agricultural field is being restored into prairie and grassland habitat. 🌿🦋🐦

One of the highlights of the day was spotting this beautiful Cream Gentian (Gentiana alba). Larry was especially excited to see it! Cream Gentian is considered a high-quality prairie species, and while this plant most likely originated from the seed mix used during the restoration, seeing it successfully establish is exactly the kind of progress we love to find. 💚

Rewilding doesn’t happen overnight. It takes planning, stewardship, patience and time for native plants and wildlife to respond. Days like this give us a chance to see just how far Ryan Creek Prairie has come.

Thank you to everyone who joined us to explore, learn, and celebrate conservation right here in Franklin!

📸 A few scenes from our afternoon on the prairie.

08/11/2026

Nature's Treasures: Remnant Beech Woods Walk
Date: Saturday, September 12, 2026
Time: 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Location: Fitzsimmons Woods, Franklin, WI

Navigation: Proceed to W Fitzsimmons Rd, Franklin (near Ryan Road & 31st St.) and follow the road to the cul de sac

Contact: Linda at [email protected]

Event description: Wander through MALC's 24.5-acre portion of Fitzsimmons Woods with our volunteer naturalists. This portion adjoins another 19 acres of the Woods owned by Milwaukee County. Fitzsimmons Woods was preserved during development of the Hidden Oaks subdivision. It's a remnant beech-maple woodland with a strong presence of oaks, 13 ephemeral wetlands, and 145 native Wisconsin plant species. The remnant American beech trees exist here in the westernmost extent of their natural range.

What to wear: comfortable shoes; long sleeves and long pants
What to bring: bug spray

RSVP: https://restoringlands.org/event/remnant-beech-woods-walk-malc/

08/07/2026

🌳🦋 Come visit MALC at Nature & Forestry Fest! 🌿🐝

Join us for a fun, family-friendly day celebrating nature, conservation, and our local environment!

📅 Sunday, August 23
⏰ 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
📍 Konkel Park | 5151 W. Layton Ave., Greenfield
🌻 Held alongside the Greenfield Farmers Market

Stop by the Milwaukee Area Land Conservancy (MALC) table to say hello, learn more about the work we’re doing to protect and restore natural areas in our community, and find out how you can get involved!

🦉 Kids can also pick up a FREE Nature & Forestry Fest passport and visit exhibitors throughout the festival to collect stamps and stickers. Complete the passport and earn a prize!

There will be educational displays, activities, nature and conservation organizations, and food and beverage vendors throughout the event.

We’d love to see you there! 💚

07/30/2026

🚨 Sidney Woodland Buckthorn Work Day Rescheduled! 🌿

Due to the weather, we’ve rescheduled our Sidney Woodland buckthorn work day to this Sunday from 9:00–11:00 AM.

📍 Meet at: N. Dexter Ave & N. Sidney Place in Glendale.

Two of us will be there and would love a few extra helping hands! If you have a couple of hours to spare, come help us remove invasive buckthorn and make a difference for this beautiful woodland. No experience is necessary, just wear clothes you don’t mind getting a little dirty.

We hope to see a few volunteers on Sunday! 🌳💚

06/12/2026

🔥 Why do conservationists intentionally set fires?

Check out this fascinating new blog post by photographer and naturalist Eddee Daniel, who recently documented a prescribed burn at Ryan Creek Prairie Preserve in Franklin, along with two other burns in southeastern Wisconsin.

Prescribed burns are one of the most important tools we use to restore and maintain healthy prairie ecosystems. Fire helps control invasive species, recycles nutrients, and creates conditions that allow native plants and wildlife to thrive. 🌾🦋

Eddee’s photos and firsthand observations offer a unique behind-the-scenes look at the people, planning, and purpose behind these carefully managed burns.

Read the full story here:
https://awealthofnature.org/to-burn-or-not-to-burn-three-prescribed-burns-in-three-days/

Thank you, Eddee, for highlighting the important restoration work taking place at Ryan Creek Prairie Preserve and across our region! 🔥💚

A Wealth of Nature / Preserve Our Parks

By Eddee Daniel Fellenz Woods Preserve, West Bend The text came in around 9:00 am that Monday morning. Just as I was about to head out to shoot a different […]

05/31/2026

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