By Mary Bachhuber, Education Committee Member The Friends of Pheasant Branch Conservancy Education Committee continues to provide season-related programs to the residents (and staff, volunteers, and family members) at Attic Angels Community Memory Care. Programs are presented with a multi-sensory approach and are nature-related. Most recently a program titled “The Music of Spring” was presented in April. This program was created, prepared and presented with UW-Madison student intern, Hannah La Fever. The Education Committee has had the privilege of partnering with the UW School of Nursing the last three years. In this last year we have also partnered with the musical group Dark Gazebo. The wonderful theme-related music the group provides is found to be of high interest to residents who enjoy and are energized by their music. Past programs have included “Migration: A Focus on Sandhill Cranes”, ” Winter Nature Bingo”, “Water in Nature”, “Birds are Making Nests” and “Spring Flowers in the Garden”. Bringing the Outside…Inside is a thoughtful program created to bring the comfort and beauty of nature to seniors in memory care who cannot physically get to the conservancy. For seniors living with memory loss, experiences rooted in nature can be especially meaningful. The sights, textures, scents, and seasonal themes featured in Bringing the Outside…Inside may inspire pleasant memories, support relaxation, and encourage positive interactions with caregivers, family members, and peers. Friends volunteers Paul Ludden, Anne Basken, and Mary Bachhuber collaborate to provide the programs.
By Colleen Robinson, Friends of Pheasant Branch Master Naturalist Course Coordinator The Friends of Pheasant Branch Conservancy have hosted their highly sought-after Wisconsin Master Naturalist Program course for eight years. Since the beginning, this partnership has been good for participants, for Conservancy land, and for the Friends, and each year it gets even better! The Program is administered through University of Wisconsin Extension, in partnership with organizations across the state, to provide 40 hours of instruction to participants who want to become “Wisconsin Master Naturalists” and volunteer 40 hours per year or more to help Wisconsin’s natural landscapes. Focusing on three key contribution categories—citizen science, land management/restoration, and education—graduates of the Friends’ course over the years have enhanced the Conservancy tremendously. Here’s just a tiny snapshot: At least eight graduates have joined and served terms on the Friends Board of Directors More than 20 graduates have created or helped lead school field trips in the Conservancy Still more have volunteered for Friends events such as Conservancy Days, Make a Memory Day, the Prairie Chase Run, and more The Friends’ e-bird monitoring program started with a graduate, and more recent graduates are joining the team to keep up the effort of tracking how prairie restorations and other land management are serving birds at the Conservancy Others arranged for slip-reducing strips to be added to shaded boardwalks, created a self-guided walking tour of Conservancy highlights, and so much more! Thank you to our partners at UW Extension, to all our guest speakers, tour guides, and teaching team, whose contributions make our course one of the best out there, and to all our eager participants who continue to do great, creative work in service to Wisconsin’s natural treasures.