Friends Attend National Public Lands Day Event at REI in Madison

The outdoors outfitter welcomed organizations dedicated to land and water preservation to the store on September 12.

Friends of Pheasant Branch Conservancy volunteers at a National Public Lands Day event at REI in Madison Wisconsin

By Janice Kehler, Friends of Pheasant Branch Conservancy Volunteer 

National Public Lands Day is held annually on the fourth Saturday of September, with events scheduled from September 12 to October 10.

REI has pledged to donate $1 million to fund projects and partners supporting over 60,600 miles of trails. As part of that effort, they sponsored a Public Lands Day event on Saturday, September 12, at their Madison location, inviting organizations involved with protecting Wisconsin’s lands and water to come together and provide information about their work. 

The Friends of Pheasant Branch Conservancy took part. Our booth creatively highlighted the impact of the long roots of native species to soak up water from far and wide to keep the land green and vibrant. Folks that attended our booth learned that the root of the compass plant ranges from 10-16 feet, compared to 0.3 to 2 feet for turf grass! 

Some other participants:

  • Knowles-Nelson highlighted the impact of their granting program: 93 percent of Wisconsin voters support public funding for this program; 650,000 acres are protected by Knowles-Nelson at an annual cost of $11.
  • The Friends of Wisconsin State Parks highlighted the publication of author Besty Korbinyr, “Time, Beauty and Grief: A Hike Through Wisconsin’s State Parks”; part trail guide, part memoir, and part conversation on aging. Twenty percent of the book’s proceeds are donated to the Friends of Wisconsin State Parks.
  • The Ice Trail Alliance was also present, where I learned that their education team works with 10,000 fourth grade students a year providing classroom education, hikes or opportunities to participate in land conservation. Click here for more information on their programs.