Field Day in Sauk County: Exploring Beaver Habitat!

This gathering will be an opportunity for women landowners, growers, and conservation professionals to connect around their shared interest in land stewardship and to learn from one another at an inspiring restoration property stewarded by host JCB Heffernan. This farm features a bustling beaver lodge!

Beavers are fascinating creatures that play an important conservation role in creating, repairing, and maintaining wetland habitats. Acting as “ecosystem engineers," they chew down trees to build dams and lodges. These dams slow rushing water, reduce flooding, mitigate droughts, and create deep ponds that provide safety for the beavers and habitat for many other species. While they help protect soil by slowing water flow, beavers are sometimes considered a nuisance in areas where tree establishment is the priority, as they gnaw on and fell trees. However, their work also creates wetlands, increases biodiversity, and helps filter water.

As is tradition at WiWiC events, we will gather for Learning Circle introductions to kick off our time together. We will share a Potluck Lunch in this inspiring setting, then head out for a tour with our host June and beaver habitat expert Emily Fairfax to visit the beavers. Emily will have waders to share, but if you have some, bring them! There will be a lot of time for discussion and networking. We are limiting this event to 30 people so we won't create too much disturbance.

"I am excited to welcome WiWiC to the farm, because I believe in the value of beavers and want people to welcome them and not be afraid of them and advocate for their return to our environment," says our host, June.  "I consider myself to be doing nothing to "support" the beavers except to not get in their way or harm them or their habitat."

Most WiWiC events are free. To help support the cost of this and other events, please consider giving to our Spring Fund Drive if you are able. Your generosity keeps WiWiC events accessible for all women who want to learn how to heal and protect the land.

WiWiC Host:

JCB Heffernan

Driftless Dane Farm

June is a fiber and conservation enthusiast hoping to advocate for leaving the world a better place.

WiWiC Facilitator:

Dr. Rebecca Christoffel

Wildlife Biologist

Rebecca is our "Unhuggables Ambassador" and a great lover of wild critters.

Conservation Professional:

Emily Fairfax

Assistant Professor of Geography at University of Minnesota

Emily is an expert on Beavers and their habitats. Fairfax uses a combination of remote sensing, modeling, and field work to understand how beaver ecosystem engineering can create drought and fire-resistant patches in the landscape under a changing climate. Her research has been featured in National Geographic, BBC, NPR, PBS, Scientific American, the Los Angeles Times, and the New York Times, amongst others.She is an Assistant Professor of Geography at University of Minnesota specializing in ecohydrology, and an affiliate faculty member at the St. Anthony Falls Laboratory.

What To Expect:

• To network with other local women around shared dreams, challenges, and experiences with conservation.

• To learn about the WiWiC project and opportunities that exist for women landowners to implement conservation practices

• To gather on a beautiful wooded restoration property with some uneven ground and uncertain weather - dress accordingly. There is a hilly five-minute walk to the habitat.

• To share a Potluck Meal. Please bring a chair to sit in and a dish to share. WiWiC will provide paper goods, cutlery, and drinks.

  
  

Event Details:

• Event is free to attend but registration is required and space is limited to 30 attendees.

• Women, all who identify as such, are welcome to attend – from  landowners to farmers to conservationist enthusiasts –  whatever your background, from beginners to experts! 

• Our WiWiC events follow a Learning Circle model, with ample time and a safe space for story sharing, networking and collaborative learning. We all have something to both share and learn together.

• Dress for the weather, bring a water bottle and chair, along with a potluck dish to share.

• WiWiC is a family-friendly space and you are welcome to bring your children. 

  
  

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Field Day Sponsors:

This event is brought to you by Wisconsin Women in Conservation, a project of Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, in partnership with the Sauk County Conservation Department. We are grateful to the Food, Faith and Farming Network and the Sally Mead Hands Foundation for their generous support for this event.

About Wisconsin Women in Conservation

WiWiC s a state-wide collaborative effort led by the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute in partnership with state and federal conservation agencies, local organizations, and other farm advocacy groups. WiWiC brings together Wisconsin's women landowners, farmers, farm workers, urban growers, and conservation professionals to connect and share about conservation practices, resources, and funding opportunities.

About Michael Fields Agricultural Institute

MFAI is a non-profit organization that has been cultivating resiliency through research, education, and policy work since 1984. With a broad coalition of public and private partners, The Institute supports farmers, food systems and communities in the Upper Midwest and beyond through a range of programs and initiatives. We believe agriculture can sustain both human and ecosystem health, while advancing food security, independence, and justice. Follow along on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news and events. Content Disclaimer

While the WiWiC project strives to make the information provided to individuals as timely and accurate as possible, we make no claims, promises, or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the content of our webinars. The information presented is solely the speakers’ expressed views and WiWiC expressly disclaims liability for errors and omissions in content.