By Jan Axelson
Friends of Cherokee Marsh
In 2017 the Friends of Cherokee Marsh will celebrate their 10th anniversary as a nonprofit group. From its beginnings as an informal group of advocates responding to a development proposal, the Friends has grown to an organization with 200 members.
The event that sparked the group’s formation was a public meeting in 2006 where City of Madison staff introduced a proposed plan for Cherokee Park, Inc. (CPI) to develop 260 acres in six parcels adjacent to Cherokee Marsh. Following the meeting, Northsiders Ellen Barnard and Pat Woicek began a conversation about the best way for the public to respond to the plan in order to protect the marsh as much as possible.
Cherokee Marsh, Dane County’s largest wetland, borders the Yahara River from the north tip of Lake Mendota upstream to Highway 19. A healthy marsh is important for reducing flooding, contributing to cleaner water in the river and downstream lakes, providing food and shelter for wildlife, and offering expanses of open space for people to enjoy. Concerns about the development plan included keeping polluted urban stormwater out of the wetlands, providing protected buffer land between the wetlands and developed areas, and maintaining expanses of habitat for wildlife.
Barnard approached Northside Planning Council (NPC) Director Jim Powell for advice on advocating for the marsh. He suggested forming a group and giving it a name, so supporters began using the name Friends of Cherokee Marsh, although formal organization came later. NPC arranged for representatives of the group to present the issues to Mayor Dave Cieslewicz at one of NPC’s quarterly meetings. Barnard recalls that “it really was NPC’s support and encouragement that gave us the starting oomph.”
In gatherings at Muriel Simms’ house, the group coordinated people to speak at public meetings. The Northside News provided detailed coverage of the plan and the public’s response to it.
The final plan, approved by the Common Council in 2007, included much of what the Friends had advocated for. At the same time, the city reached an agreement with CPI to buy over 200 acres of wetlands and 20 acres of upland adjacent to Cherokee Marsh Conservation Park. The city has since added this land to the park, restoring the wetlands and planting the upland to prairie.
Ten years later, the Friends continue to advocate for land and water protection. Our volunteers work to restore prairie and wetlands in Cherokee Marsh Conservation Park, Yahara Heights County Park, and the Cherokee Marsh State Natural Area. We raise money to support outdoor environmental education through the Madison School District. We established the Cherokee Marsh Conservation Fund to provide a permanent source of funding for conservation of the marsh. And we sponsor events for the public, including monthly bird and nature walks.
We invite all Northsiders and folks who are interested in Cherokee Marsh to join us at our annual meeting and anniversary celebration Saturday, Jan. 21, from 10 am‒12 pm, at the Warner Park Community Recreation Center. At 10 am, we’ll present a short visual history of the group and elect directors for the coming year. At 10:30 am, we’ll have a special presentation entitled “Cranes: Ambassadors for Conservation” by Richard Beilfuss, president of the International Crane Foundation, where we’ll learn about the 15 species of cranes and conservation efforts in Wisconsin and around the world.
To find out more about the Friends or to join, volunteer or donate, visit Cherokeemarsh.org.