Friends of Starkweather Creek

Friends of Starkweather Creek Please join our nature and restoration events. We strive for a healthy urban stream to benefit the community through stewardship, education, and advocacy.

Friends of Starkweather Creek (est. 2002) is a volunteer organization of citizen stewards, advocates, explorers and educators dedicated to the enhancement of the watershed’s environmental quality. April 2021 Update:
The Friends of Starkweather Creek (est. 2002) is non-profit citizen’s group dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of Madison’s largest watershed. FSC volunteers work to restor

e critical habitat for insects, birds, pollinators and other wildlife that call Starkweather Creek their home. We remove invasive plants and shrubs that displace our native plants and cause increased erosion, plant native plants, create and maintain rain gardens/pollinator gardens, do trail maintenance, broadcast native seed in priority areas, perform plant surveys, do clean-ups and regularly monitor creek water for chlorides, phosphorus and general health parameters. We advocate for responsible private developments and public projects near the creek and effective PFAS clean-up efforts. Under a DNR grant awarded to the Capital Area Regional Planning Commission, we are partnering with a team of public, private and non-profit players to develop a Chloride Management Plan to assess and reduce chloride use in winter de-icing and water-softening. We host monthly nature walks, paddles and bikes throughout the year and provide summer youth outings in partnership with Goodman Community Center. Please visit our Website and page, or email us at [email protected]

How Much PFAS in our waters??? YOU CAN HELP!!!!! PLEASE DONATE to this GO-FUND-ME page. Once Again, we are measuring PF...
07/28/2026

How Much PFAS in our waters???
YOU CAN HELP!!!!! PLEASE DONATE to this GO-FUND-ME page.

Once Again, we are measuring PFAS levels in Starkweather Creek, the Yahara Lakes and the Madison Metropolitan Sewage District outfall to Badfish Creek. We've done this in 2024 and 2025, so this year we wil have 3 years of data to help show any trends. You can find results so far on our web-page StarkweatherFriends.org.

We really appreciate your help!!!!!!!
https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-ongoing-pfas-testing-in-dane-county-in-2026

In 2024, volunteers from the Friends of Starkweather Creek te… Noah Edelstein needs your support for Support Ongoing PFAS Testing in Dane County in 2026

Delay, delay, delay.... That's been the US Military approach to cleaning up deadly PFAS contamination at hundreds of si...
07/28/2026

Delay, delay, delay.... That's been the US Military approach to cleaning up deadly PFAS contamination at hundreds of sites all over this country, including at Truax Air National Guard base at Dane Co airport.

We can thank Senator Tammy Baldwin and 27 others who sent the Defense Department a letter demanding quicker action.

Trump Administration Newly Postponed Cleanup of Toxic PFAS Chemicals at Over 170 Military Installations – In Some Cases by as Much as Two Decades Senators Request Detailed Explanations for Continued Delays that are Putting Service Members and Military Families at Risk Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten G...

07/26/2026
THE 25TH ANNUAL SUMMER SOLSTICE BONFIRE CELEBRATION 2026Come gather around the bonfire on Sunday, June 21, 2026, from 4:...
06/18/2026

THE 25TH ANNUAL SUMMER SOLSTICE BONFIRE CELEBRATION 2026

Come gather around the bonfire on Sunday, June 21, 2026, from 4:00pm-9:30pm, at Olbrich Park on Lake Monona, near the intersection of Atwood Avenue and Oakridge Avenue.

This is a Free Event

The annual summer solstice gathering celebrates community, nature, humanity, and life on earth on the northern hemisphere's longest day of the year. This event started to highlight our own humble Starkweather Basin as part of the larger universe.

Enjoy canoe rides, music, picnicking, food carts, ice cream, the lighting ceremony, and the biggest BLAZE of the Bonfire at 8:30.

Bring thoughts and worries to release in the fire, wishes to ascend with the smoke, and hope for more light in our lives and the lives of others, as we celebrate the beginning of the shortest night!

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

4:00 Canoe rides at the boat launch parking lot by the Thai Pavillion next to Olbrich Garden

5:30 Food carts and ice cream arrive

5:45 Paper mache “critter heads” arrive for volunteer dancers to try on

6:30 Music (Onadare Celtic Band; Group singing)

8:20 Welcome and Blessing the Bonfire with the human microphone

8:30 (Sunset): Bonfire is lit with the International Flame of Hope by honoree Michael Vickerman

8:30 Drumming by the Elmore Lawson drum circle begins (Dancing and drumming continue until 9:30).

8:45 (ish) Assisted by “Wish Agents” people can write and add wishes to the fire after it burns lower (no containers, bags, or cardboard).

Summer Solstice Celebration!!!Olbrich Park June 21, 4-9:30pm- 4-7 Canoe Starkweather Creek- 5-8 Make Music MadisonFood V...
06/10/2026

Summer Solstice Celebration!!!
Olbrich Park June 21, 4-9:30pm

- 4-7 Canoe Starkweather Creek
- 5-8 Make Music Madison
Food Vendors
- 7 Be an Insect or Animal in the Parade!
- 8:15 BONFIRE & Drumming

Bring worries and thoughts to release in the fire, wishes to ascend with the smoke, and hope for more light in all of our lives, as we celebrate the beginning of the longest day. 🌟

For information: S A S Y N A dot org (https://sasyna.org/) or call 608-239-9426.

Very sad ending to the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund which has preserved thousands of acres for nature in Wisconsin, i...
05/09/2026

Very sad ending to the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund which has preserved thousands of acres for nature in Wisconsin, including Starkweather Conservation Park in Madison.
We can hope the next legislature will reflect the will of the vast majority. 🌳🐦🌻🦋

The state’s popular land stewardship program runs out of funding June 30. Some worry more Wisconsin natural areas will be bulldozed.

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Madison, WI
53708

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