Goals & Accomplishments

2022

Restoration / Prairie Team

  • Monitor the Bluebird Trail
  • Collect prairie seeds to improve plant diversity and health of the PFC prairies
  • Support the Native American Garden and the Interpretive Garden
  • Lead the Monarch Butterfly Tagging Project, a citizen science program
  • Brush cut weeds in selective areas
  • Monitor the condition of the PFC prairies
  • Study the possibility of creating a “woodland trail”

Programs Team

  • Virtual Presentations
    • Pope Farm Conservancy: A Learning Lab for Elementary School Kids
    • Planting, Growing and Feeding: Forward Garden in 2021
    • Attracting Eastern Bluebirds to Your Yard
  • Public Talks/Tours at the Conservancy
    • National Trails Day Hike
    • Bird Watching in Late Spring
    • Pope Farm Conservancy: History of the Land Tour
    • Wildflowers in the Conservancy
    • Fall Migration Birding Walk

Education Team

  • Complete the “History of the Land” video series (will be available on site)
  • Work with Forward Gardens on mutual educational programs
  • Assist with and coordinate the MCPASD 4th-grade field trips at PFC
  • Complete the Geology video series (will be available on site)
  • Complete the Birds at PFC series (will be available on site)
  • Begin work on the Native American video series
  • Distribute video lessons to the public (Historical Society, Schools, Libraries)
  • Begin work on developing one on one tours for PFC

Communications Team

  • Send 10 e-news updates to the FOPFC membership and donors
  • Deliver 2 editions of the FOPFC news magazine for our supporters

2020

* Denotes activities that were cancelled due to COVID-19

Restoration / Prairie Team Goals:

  • Monitor the Bluebird Trail
  • Collect and plant prairie seeds*
  • Support the Native American Garden and the Interpretive Garden
  • Lead citizen science projects, such as Monarch Tagging*
  • Advise and assist Pope Farm Elementary School with its Prairie Restoration

Events Team Goals – 12 Public Talks/Tours:

  • Plein Air Painting*
  • Fungi and Mushroom Logs*
  • Managing Invasive Species and Jumping Worms
  • Forest Bathing at PFC*
  • Monarch Butterfly Presentation
  • Native American Spirituality and Care for the Earth
  • Nature and Landscape Photography*
  • Winter Hike at PFC
  • Prairie Plants in the Conservancy*
  • Migrating Birds Walk*
  • Bluebird Trail Walk*

Education Team Goals:

  • Complete the “History of the Land” video documentary
  • Begin researching the History of Farming and the Environment at PFC
  • Expand our educational programs during the winter*
  • Print and maintain the Self-Guided Tour Pamphlets at PFC*
  • Research donating Soil Erosion Signs for PFC
  • Develop a woodland trail, and possibly a wetland trail, for elementary school field trips*
  • Provide lesson plan ideas for grades 1-4 to the Middleton Cross Plains School District (MCPASD)
  • Educate MCPASD teachers and staff on the educational opportunities that are available at PFC, Blackhawk and adjacent lands
  • Assist with and coordinate the MCPASD 4th-grade field trips at PFC*

Communications Team:

  • Send 10 e-news updates to the FOPFC membership and donors
  • Deliver 2 editions of the FOPFC news magazine for our membership and donors

2019

In 2019, the Friends worked hard to…

  • Offer 11 educational walks and talks that are free & open to the public, plus winter activities at the Conservancy for FOPFC members
  • Manage 4 prairies at Pope Farm Conservancy for the Town of Middleton
  • Collect, process, and plant prairie seeds to improve the quality and diversity of the prairies at Pope Farm Conservancy
  • Coordinate volunteer efforts to help control invasive species in the Conservancy
  • Maintain the Sugar Maple stand in the Conservancy for the Town of Middleton and the grass areas along the recessional moraine for the Town of Middleton
  • Install several Burr Oak trees along the stone fence
  • Administer the self-guided tour program
  • Educate 4th-grade students about Native Americans, food, and survival as part of annual fall field trip
  • Start developing educational assistance for the new Pope Farm Elementary School
  • Complete the Erosion Trail signage to help the public learn about natural and man-made erosion
  • Research and develop an interactive menu for hand held devices titled “The History of the Land.”
  • Assist the Town of Middleton with the erosion problem along the stone fence
  • Begin promotion of the German Immigration interactive menu to the public
  • Enhance the trial steward program where members help monitor the Conservancy
  • Start a walking group for FOPFC members during the summer and fall months
  • Hold an annual FOPFC membership event to share information and meet one another
  • Host a volunteer appreciation event
  • Tag over 300 monarch butterflies to track them through their migration to Mexico

2018

In 2018, the Friends worked hard to…

  • Offer 7 educational tours/talks that are free and open to the public
  • Manage 4 prairies at Pope Farm Conservancy for the Town of Middleton
  • Collect, process, and plant prairie seeds to improve the quality and diversity of the prairies at Pope Farm Conservancy
  • Coordinate volunteer efforts to help control invasive species in the conservancy
  • Administer self-guided tour programs
  • Educate 4th grade students about Native Americans, and Land Formation, as part to the Middleton Cross Plains field trips in the spring and fall.
  • Tagged over 200 monarch butterflies to track them through their migration to Mexico
  • Assist the UW Soils Department to educate the public about Erosion utilizing the new trail at PFC, called “Soil Conservation, Soil on the Move”
  • Research, develop, and install additional signage to share the history of the Land
  • Assist the Town of Middleton to fix the erosion problem along the Stone fence
  • Produce a series of educational videos about “German Emigration” for an interactive tour of PFC
  • Hold an annual event for FOPFC members to share information and for members to meet one another

2017

In 2017, the Friends worked hard to…

  • Offer 7 educational tours/talks that are free and open to the public
  • Sponsor Sunflower Days (which drew over 92,000 visitors)
  • Assist in efforts to preserve the Pope Farm Homestead property
  • Manage 4 prairies at Pope Farm Conservancy for the Town of Middleton; Collect, process, and plant prairie seeds to improve the quality and diversity of the prairies at Pope Farm Conservancy
  • Coordinate volunteer efforts to help control invasive species in the conservancy
  • Administer self-guided tour programs
  • Assist the State Historical Society with the Educational field trips to Pope Farm Conservancy
  • Assist the UW Soils Department to educate the public about Erosion utilizing the new trail at PFC, called “Soil Conservation, Soil on the Move”
  • Sell the Sunflower Seeds from the Sunflower crop to help the farmer cover the cost of planting the sunflowers
  • Research, develop, and install additional signage to share the history of the Land
  • Design and help build a parking lane for the Conservancy, to insure more parking is available in the future.
  • Begin research and development of a new interactive tour series, which will allow visitors to watch short videos about the history of the land as they walk through the conservancy

2016

In 2016, the FOPFC successfully…

  • Offered ​10 educational tours/talks that are free and open to the public
  • Sponsored Sunflower Days (which drew over 84,000 visitors)
  • Assisted​ ​in efforts to preserve the Pope Farm Homestead property
  • Managed 4 prairies at Pope Farm Conservancy for the Town of Middleton
  • Purchased and planted native wildflowers in efforts to bring back native butterflies
  • Researched and ​developed a series of self-guided tours that can be used by the general public
  • Assisted the Middleton Cross Plains Area School District in their spring and fall field trips to Pope Farm Conservancy​
  • Researched, developed, and installed additional signage to share the history of the land to the public
  • Developed a Trail Steward program to help monitor the trails and picnic areas for the Town of Middleton

2015

In 2015, the FOPFC…

  • Sponsored Sunflower Days (which drew over 60,000 visitors)
  • Planted 115 species Oak Savanna under the 150 year old Burr Oak Canopy
  • Offered 8 educational tours that were free and open to the public
  • Helped build new lesson plans on soils for Middleton Cross Plains Area School District grade school students
  • Sponsored an event called Heritage Day with educational activities on the history of this area
  • Assisted the UW Soils Department in building an “Erosion Trail” to educate our students and the public about soil and erosion

2014

In 2014, the FOPFC…

  • Successfully re-seeded a complete prairie that was damaged by drought when it was young
  • Offered 6 educational tours that were free and open to the public
  • Sponsored Sunflower Days (which drew over 60,000 visitors)
  • Built new lesson plans on soils for Middleton Cross Plains Area School District grade school students
  • Started a 4-year project with the UW Soils Department to build an “Erosion Trail” to educate our students and the public about soil and erosion
  • Created a rare 100+ species Oak Savanna under the 150 year old Burr Oak canopy

2013

In 2013, the FOPFC was formed and we…

  • Assisted the WI Historical Society and Middleton Cross Plains Area School District in their spring and fall field trips to Pope Farm Conservancy​
  • Hosted the first ever “Sunflower Days” event (which drew over 10,000 visitors)
  • Offered 2 educational tours that were free and open to the public
  • Installed a rain garden near the lower parking lot on Old Sauk Road
  • Began the Prairie Restoration Project, which involved over 50 members and volunteers collecting and cleaning prairie plant seed, which was later planted in the Wheat Field Prairie by our restoration volunteers
  • Hosted a Members Appreciation Party to celebrate our first 100 members
  • Grew to 127 memberships (206 members) by year end