New Season, Memories and Earth Day

A near perfect day with mild temperatures and sunshine accompanied the opening day of the 2016 gardening season at the Prospect Gardens. This is the seventh year of tending the gardens and the first time a work session fell on Earth Day. Taking care of the microscopic slice of earth underlying the Gardens on Earth Day was a special treat.

I recall the first Earth Day forty-six years ago on April 22, 1970. Our own Senator Gaylord Nelson  is credited as the founding father . On that April day, I was a young social studies teacher in West Bend, Wisconsin team teaching with a gifted teacher(Bill). I had a head full of hair (unlike now), and wore shirts and ties when teaching. We taught "American Studies", a Sophomore course organized according to major themes and never followed a text book. We had a social studies resource room filled with paperbacks and other educational materials. The two newly built side-by-side high schools were organized around flexible modular scheduling; a radical reform that broke up the traditional seven one hour class schedule. Modular scheduling broke up the day into different time segments. For example, we could meet all sophomores in a large lecture hall, if we wanted to, followed by discussion groups of 10 to 15 students. The executive principal for both high schools was my former high school principal in Pulaski, Wisconsin.

Eventually, my career shifted to teaching special education, teacher training and then program evaluation after earning an Educational Doctorate from Indiana University in 1983. So much for a slice of the past. Now on this Earth Day, I am retired from the University of Wisconsin and known as the Crew Chief of Prospect Gardens. My wife, Ann, sometimes refers to me as the "boss" while I occasionally call her the "Union President", making sure that the crew has breaks and we stop at the designated time.  I tend to forget about time when I am working in the gardens.

On this 2016 Earth Day, Susan, Program Coordinator from The Friends of Lake Wingra and four University of Wisconsin Badger Volunteers joined seven volunteers from three neighborhoods (Dudgeon-Monroe, Regent and Hilldale).  The twelve of us weeded and began mulching.  Much still remains to be done.

Here's a few pictures of some of volunteers who made this a memorable Earth Day. Ken, Ann and me are not on any of the pictures. Maybe next time. Thank you so much. A special thank you for Susan from The Friends of Lake Wingra and the four Badger Volunteers that she recruited. The Gardens are located in the Lake Wingra watershed. Lake Wingra is a fifteen minute walk from the Gardens. Head south on Prospect, cross busy Monroe Street, keeping going and you cannot miss Lake Wingra.

 Here's Susan pausing for a short break. She diligently worked from 1 to about 4 PM.  So grateful she and the UW Badger Volunteers joined the crew.

Susan bought this very nice sign.  On my list of things to do includes a new sign announcing that "gardeners are working ahead" on the path. We always have to look out for the bikers and hopefully, they for us.

The UW Badger Volunteers: Caid, Kara, Claire and Michelle. Always a pleasure having students join the crew.

 Look at those smiles. Pulling weeds is fun and especially on a mild sunny Spring day. Our future is in good hands.

 Here's Bob, one of the regulars. He's back at his favorite task, mulching. This year we are using sheared hardwood bark rather than decayed leaves once sold by Olbrich Gardens. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has recommended that leaves not be spread due to the possibility of spreading invasive jumping worms.  

 Here's Joan and Martha from the Regent Neighborhood, weeding the raspberry patch. If I recall right, they are enrolled in the Master Gardner, a University of Wisconsin Extension program.  

 Loren is on a well deserved break.  Loren also volunteers at Olbrich Gardens.  I am so glad he joined us.  We met on the last working session for 2015 and now he is part of the Prospect Crew. Thanks, Loren.

The next regular scheduled work session is May 21st although this may be subject to change. Some of us will continue mulching at our own pace before this date..... hoping to use up the five yards I had delivered. Come join us, if you are in the Madison area.