By Dan Tortorice
Friends of Lake View Hill Park
Having a beautiful and scenic county park in the middle of our neighborhood offers an opportunity for enjoyment. It also entails some responsibility to residents because Dane County simply does not have enough workers to keep up with such management tasks as pulling invasive plants and collecting seeds for planting desirable species.
The Friends of Lake View Hill Park have been around for the entire existence of the park. In fact, the group began in the successful effort to dissuade the county from selling the property. We are one of many friends groups who assist throughout Dane County. Because our park is one of three county parks designated as heritage sites, our mission encompasses both environmental and historical concerns.
Ecology
2018 was an active year for the Friends group. The bulk of our activities involved working on the restoration of native plant species in the park. This work is essential for both plants and animals to achieve a natural and healthy ecosystem. In order for native species to thrive, they must have space and light. This involves the labor-intensive work of removing exotic species like buckthorn, honeysuckle and garlic mustard. Then seeds can be collected from native species to be planted and spread throughout the cleared areas.
Member Nelson Eisman said, “The collection of wild flower seeds took a leap forward this year after Lars Higdon, Dane County naturalist, visited and saw we had flowers he wished he saw in other parks.” Desirable seeds from plants such as giant hyssop, bottle brush, Joe Pye weed and jack-in-the-pulpit were harvested and shared with other parks.
We have a continuing effort to plant more milkweed in the park to benefit threatened monarch butterflies. We also added bee boxes for native pollinators and continue to monitor the bat hibernaculum for active use.
Several local groups contributed valuable volunteer time to help out with these efforts. They include American Family Insurance, Johnson Bank, Blackhawk Church, Malcom Shabazz High School and Operation Fresh Start.
Havey Road entrance
We are attempting to beautify and reduce erosion at the Havey Road entrance. Member Nathan Smith has designed a plan to add rocks and native plantings from Plant Dane. He hopes to add two rain gardens and reroute the path to slow down water movement out to the street.
Birds
Member Bill Huisheere reports that a late-season snowstorm slowed the spring bird migration and made things difficult for many birds, such as the palm warbler and other insect eaters. One spring highlight was a group of scarlet tanagers that spent a few days in the park. Other regular visitors included Baltimore and orchard orioles, Sandhill cranes, nuthatches, finches, vireos and cedar waxwings.
Our Friends group worked with Madison Friends of Urban Nature to put up 12 bluebird houses. We know at least four of them were used to produce new bluebird families. This fall a large group of bluebirds was seen drinking from the restored fountain.
Heritage
Lake View Hill Sanatorium operated on the site from 1930 to 1966. The hospital is the reason the park is considered a heritage site. Many patients were able to fight off tuberculosis by taking advantage of the fresh air, sunshine and exercise opportunities offered by this beautiful natural setting.
In 2018 Dane County installed a series of plaques in the restored veranda of the Dormitory for Help to illustrate the accomplishments of the sanatorium. Visitors can learn some interesting history while taking in the fantastic view across Warner Park and Lake Mendota. We are working to create additional interpretive signs to illustrate both natural and heritage sights within the park.
Our group is working with some metal detector enthusiasts to find artifacts from the era of the sanatorium. The area around the old hog barn foundation in the woods has produced some interesting items, such as barbed wire, old forged nails, part of an old sink and lots of cut-up bones. The sink appears to be made of Bakelite, an early form of plastic used in the first half of the 20th century. We are looking to find the borders of Sputum Pond, which was a patient sanctuary at the bottom of the hill.
Community Activities
The Friends of Lake View Hill Park sponsored yoga classes conducted in the fresh air at the top of the hill by instructor Kristen Figgeleader. Our annual spring bird count was a lot of fun. Our fall event was a drum circle with treats to celebrate the equinox. There are several healthful herbs growing in the park, and we have conducted some “herb walks” to show them off. We are attempting to create an “immunity” herb garden in the upper cement pond above the parking lot.
We Northsiders are lucky to have this jewel of a park as a close neighbor. Please consider joining Friends of Lake View Hill Park to help build and participate in its future. To learn more, visit lakeviewhill.org or find us on Facebook @lakeviewhill.