Our mission is to create a community-based arboretum for the purposes of education,
recreation, conservation, and the cooperation within the Platteville community.
Message
from
President
Happy
New Year!
As I reflect back on
the year about to
close, I am oddly reminded of the Dr.
Seuss classic Oh, the
Places You’ll Go!
This magical book explores the ups-anddowns of life and then reminds us that, in the
end, a positive spirit and determined motivation will allow us to “move mountains.”
Surely, this past year for PCA has had its positives and
negatives.
At our lowest point,
we
lost
D a v i d
Canny. The
founding father
of
PCA,
a
community
member in every sense of the term, and a
man who would make things happen before
anyone had time to question them…David
was a special person to say the least.
At the other end of the spectrum, the PCA
has done some pretty cool things this year.
Just to name a few things, we sponsored
presentation of “Walden”, developed a new
trail mix for sale at the Driftless Market,
were awarded our 3rd DNR River Protection Planning grant, created a memorial
bench program, and established a resource
library for environmental education. Perhaps
more important than identifying individual
items, is recognizing that collectively all we
did this year has set us up to do greater
things in the future.
As I mentioned last time, we are working
very hard to be able to complete some significant work in summer 2011 including,
Docks for Doc, trout habitat restoration, and
trail enhancements. Although the PCA will
not ever actually move a mountain, as our
continued on back
VOLUME 1 • ISSUE
DECEMBER 2010
4
EE Library Update
The Platteville Community
Arboretum’s Environmental
Education library has expanded to include 13
Audubon Butterfly Field
Guides. A generous grant
from the Platteville Community Fund made this purchase possible. The lending
library now consists of
binoculars, digital cameras, a
bird scope, wildflower, bird,
and butterfly field guides.
The new field guides have been put to use
by Platteville Middle School 5th graders as
they studied butterflies during their Insect
unit. The PMS 6th graders learned how to
properly use the binoculars and ventured
outdoors to practice their bird identification
skills. 6th graders are planning to participate
in this winter’s Great Backyard Bird Count.
The Great Backyard Bird Count is an annual
four-day event that engages bird watchers of
all ages in counting birds to
create a real-time snapshot
of where the birds are
across the continent. Anyone can participate, from
beginning bird watchers to
experts. It takes as little as
15 minutes on one day, or
you can count for as long as
you like each day of the
event. It’s free, fun, and
easy—and it helps the birds.
For
more
information
go
to
http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/ The binoculars and cameras will certainly enhance
their learning and provide a hands on opportunity of exploration and observation.
Any teacher who would like to check out
items from the new PCA EE library may contact Robin Fatzinger by email at
rfatzinger@platteville.k12.wi.us or by calling
348-3349.
On Saturday October 23, 2010, we held the first
annual Trail Stroll and Social. The weather was
cold and damp, but spirits were high for
those who dared venture forth. We met at
the Platteville Area Chamber of Commerce,
and leisurely walked to the dog park. En route,
we had an informal contest to see who could
collect the most garbage (it really became a tie
in the end, as everyone began stuffing others’
bags with the heavier items!!). Members of the UWPlatteville Horticulture Club donated their time to create a “Scavenger
Hunt” game - this kept attention focused on nature, and served as a
learning tool as well. PCA president Kris Wright pointed out progress
made so far, identified areas in need of work in the immediate future,
continued on back
Thoreau Was Right!
by rand atkinson
The penciling of an unknown conservation movement echoed
from Walden Pond in the 1850's after Henry David Thoreau
spend over two years of his young life pondering what is
important in life. Does time alone, living a simple and unencumbered life without the company and conveniences of
modern life, clear ones mind as to what is important?
The fact that Thoreau questioned the values of commerce over the virtues that nature provides was an astounding leap of understanding during a time when industry
and urban expansion in America was just beginning. Just as
America had rebelled and thrived from the clutches of England, Thoreau rebelled from his family's pencil factory to explore and explain the natural world that this new civilization
had taken for granted. Anything west of the Mississippi at
that time was still wilderness and land was still seen as a
resource to be exploited.
il Mix
ntree Branch Tra
Rou
Blend
hazelnuts,
cans, pistachios, n raisins,
onds, walnuts, pe
golde
Ingredients: Almflower oil, raisins, cranberries, eberries.
erries, blu
yogurt peanuts, sun
, strawberries, ch
papaya, pineapple
Halloween 2010 & Platteville Community
Arboretum Trail Mix Kick Off.
Pictured: Heidi and Bill McBeth, Robin Timm (Owners of
Driftless Market) Apryl Bennett and Cindy Robles PCA
Board Members.
Walden, the Ballad of Thoreau, presented by the Lancaster
Community Players, and the Platteville Community Arboretum is
helping introduce locals who have heard about Thoreau, know
some of his quotes, but nothing about his life and his thinking.
This past October, the PCA in conjunction with the Lancaster
Community Players presented Walden to a warm receptive audience.Todate over 500 radio stations have aired the Walden
Radio Drama, and numerous local communities have staged the
play. The Platteville Community Arboretum is continuing plans for a fall of 2011
presentation.
Yesterday's ideals of conservation that was spurred
by Thoreau thoughts now push environmentalism into the
new forefront of sustainability; Yet wild places, like Walden
Pond once was, continue to shrink and become islands not
refuges on the edge of our own “Concords” where modern
man once entered to find solace and peace. Grassy meadows and forest in our own communities are hard to find
while our oceans, tropical forest and other vast ecosystems
are slowly being disrupted by human material needs. I fear
modern man has lost the ability to see the value of nature
that not only feeds the soul but provides for his physical existence.
What steps is our culture taking to heed the warnings of Thoreau and Emerson in the path of progress over
the fleeing wildness. Recycling is not the total answer, if one
considers that we have been recycling for the last 20 years
and still have an island of floating plastic in the middle of
the Pacific twice the size of Texas....and still growing. Our
wealth has brought us to a point where we accumulated material goods and justify that our economy depends on it.
Cannot we take Thoreau's thoughts to heart and make a decision that we will do with less ..... less packaging, less material goods; therefore less trips to the store. Then, with the
time saved, take a walk and ask what is really important in
your life. Soon with these good thoughts and saved money
you will find a time to take a trip to visit that scenic wild
place that you saved by wanting less. This happiness will be
felt around the world.
Thoreau is America's original "tree hugger" and forefather of our environmental
movement.Yet, the generation in schools
right now haven’t a clue about Thoreau.
He was a gentle naturalist, earth lover, author, pencil maker ... and is the most
quoted American writer in history. Yet,
when he passed, he was more well known
for having helped market the pencil than
for a single word he wrote with it.
... stroll & social
and outlined more distant
plans for these sections of
the trail. After the walk, we
met back at Katie’s Garden
where our director, Rand
Atkinson, had an informative display, and all enjoyed
a Dilly Bar (courtesy of our
local Dairy Queen – thank
you!!). Those that completed the Scavenger Hunt
“A man is related to all nature.”
ralph waldo emerson
Board of Directors
Kristopher Wright, President
Rand Atkinson, Program Coordinator
Beth Frieders, Vice President
Robin Fatzinger, Secretary
Julie Pluemer, Treasurer
Apryl Bennett
Kathy Kopp
Gene Weber
Mike Myers
Cindy Robles
Dick Bonin
Ric Genthe
Kerry McCabe
phone: 608.778.1131
email: pca@plattevillearboretum.org
website: www.plattevillearboretum.org
mail: PO Box 302 • Platteville, WI 53818
The Platteville Community Arboretum has introduced it’s own trail mix. Joyful Journey is now
being offered for sale at the Driftless Market.
All proceeds go to the development and maintenance of the PCA trail.Additional trail mix
recipes are being explored and plans for introduction is scheduled for Summer 2011.
participated in a drawing
for ice cream tokens from
Culver’s (again, a huge
Thank You). We are looking at a late summer timeframe for the 2011 Trail
Stroll and Social, with the
hope that the weather will
be better, and the Badgers
won’t be playing the
Hawkeyes!!
... president
long-term goals ultimately become a reality,
it may seem like it…
Before I close, I would like to recognize and
thank Eric Cleveland for his service to the
PCA. Eric has served on the Board of Directors for the past few years, and recently
decided not to run for re-election for an-
other term. During his tenure Eric challenged the PCA to always become a better
organization, and looking back, I’d say we
have. Thanks Eric.
Thank you all for your continuing support.
Kris