UW Badger Volunteers and Gratitude

On the first day of summer, June 21st, a new crew of University of Wisconsin Badger Volunteers and their supervisors, tended the Prospect Gardens. A perfect afternoon for gardening. Temperature in the low 70's and with a light cloud cover.

The four Badger Volunteers, in lime green t- shirts, starting from the left to right are Joe, Sameer, Ethan and Connie. In the back row are Justine, the Program Coordinator for the Wisconsin Environmental Initiative (WEI) and Sam. He is replacing Justine who shortly will be leaving for Olympia, WA. Justine, serving an Americorps term, will join Capitol Land Trust in Olympia, WA, as their Restoration Coordinator. Justine will be involved in volunteer management, public education, and conservation efforts in the region.

WEI, directed by John Imes, sponsors the crew and through John's generosity, crews work in the Gardens several times during the gardening season.  This crew will be with WEI for the summer and will be involved with other WEI initiatives.

With deep gratitude I thank this crew, the UW Morgridge Center for Public Service, developers of the Badger Volunteer program, and John Imes for making his crew available. Before I share more for your reflection, here is Carrie Newcomer's poem, "Three Gratitudes."

Every night before I go to sleep

I say out loud
Three things that I’m grateful for,
All the significant, insignificant
Extraordinary, ordinary stuff of my life.
It’s a small practice and humble,
And yet, I find I sleep better
Holding what lightens and softens my life
Ever so briefly at the end of the day.
Sunlight, and blueberries,
Good dogs and wool socks,
A fine rain,
A good friend,
Fresh basil and wild phlox,
My father’s good health,
My daughter’s new job,
The song that always makes me cry,
Always at the same part,
No matter how many times I hear it.
Decent coffee at the airport,
And your quiet breathing,
The stories you told me,
The frost patterns on the windows,
English horns and banjos,
Wood Thrush and June bugs,
The smooth glassy calm of the morning pond,
An old coat,
A new poem,
My library card,
And that my car keeps running
Despite all the miles.

And after three things,
More often than not,
I get on a roll and I just keep on going,
I keep naming and listing,

Until I lie grinning,
Blankets pulled up to my chin,
Awash with wonder
At the sweetness of it all."

As we ended the afternoon and packed up the tools and returned this wheelbarrow to its owner, I felt grateful for the opportunity to enjoy a summer afternoon with future UW alumni. You could say  I was "awash with wonder at the sweetness of it all."

Here's Justine observing a spider on her arm during an April work session when she and another crew of Badger Volunteers tended the Gardens. I wish the best to her as she ventures to Olympia and begins her new job. She is excited about moving to the Northwest. Justine will do very well in her new job.

Justine and I teamed to create a new bed which first involved  removing rocks. We took turns hauling the rocks in a wheelbarrow up the northern ramp. The rock pile awaits pick up by the city.

I will fill the space with dirt and plant natives and maybe some grasses. Nate, an Oregon teacher and lead for its school prairie, has set aside Blue Lobelia and Little Blue Stem grasses. Maybe early next week  I will do the planting.

Sam, pictured here pulling weeds, is  an environmental science major and will be a senior this fall semester. Recently he's been biking many of our nearby trails. He also loves cast and fly fishing and especially near his hometown of Viroqua. Thanks Sam for your good work which included pulling Bishops Weed.

Viroqua's population is nearly 4,400 and is located about 94 miles northwest of Madison. Viroqua is the county seat of Vernon County. The county and surrounding areas are part of the unique Driftless region which covers about 20,000 square miles in western Wisconsin, northeastern Iowa, southeastern Minnesota, and extreme northwestern Illinois. This area was never glaciated, resulting in landscapes of steep, forested ridges, and deeply-carved river valleys.

Besides it's natural beauty, the Viroqua area is known for being one of the greatest organic farming regions of the  United States. Organic Valley, the largest organic farming cooperative in North America, is just one of the many organic farms that provide products to restaurants in Viroqua and across the Midwest.

The town and the area has a special place in my heart. Prior to retiring, I was the evaluation coordinator for the UW Environmental Resource Center. I'm grateful for the eight years of being on a team dedicated to addressing environmental issues.

We had a two day staff meeting held at the visitors center of The Kickapoo Valley Reserve, 23 miles east of Viroqua. A majestic setting on  8,600-acre of public land.

The Kickapoo River, a 126-mile-long tributary of the Wisconsin River, flows through the Reserve. Sandstone outcroppings tower over the River and native plants and animals abound in all seasons throughout the Reserve. Great fishing, and I bet Sam has fished in or near the Reserve.

During break, we talked about our least favorite buildings on campus. Sam disliked the Noland Zoology building. Joe nominated the George L. Mosse Humanities building pictured here. A few years ago the walk bridge was removed from this concrete colossus. Surprisingly, Sam liked the Humanities building, even though its design is similar to the Zoology Building.

Talking about buildings reminded me of my four years on the campus and how grateful I am for my UW education. Those were transformative  years for me when the Zoology and Humanities building were under construction. Also, UW was one of the epicenters of the Vietnam War protests during those years.

Construction of the Humanities Building began in 1966 when I was a senior, and in the fall began a Master's Degree program in Political Science. It and the Zoology building was completed in 1969. That year I still lived in Madison and was finishing my first year of teaching 7th and 8th grade social studies in Poynette with a Masters degree and teacher certification earned in 1968.

I recall walking past the Humanities Building as it was being built. The site was surrounded by a ply wood barrier covered with graffiti and anti-war slogans. According to a popular myth, the architect designed the structure to be riot proof. Supposedly, the design would impede protesters from occupying the building, as was done on October 18, 1967 when students took over the Commerce building. Known as the "Dow Chemical Riots", police waded into Commerce and dispersed the students with what would now be called excessive force.

I now stroll pass the Humanities Building on my occasional walks through campus. The massive building is a prime example of the 1960's Brutalist architectural movement. Brutalist designed buildings are large scaled concrete structures with a stark appearance featuring minimalist geometric patterns, straight lines and unadorned concrete exterior and interior surfaces. The architect was Harry Weese, the same man who designed Washington, D.C.’s iconic metro stations.

The UW master plan calls for the demolition of Humanities sometime in the future which has stirred up  controversy. Here's what Joe Reuteman, in the December 5th, 2015 Badger Herald said:

"The severe cement facade strikes many as overly imposing, looking less like a hub of arts and history and more like a munitions plant from some bleak dystopian fiction. The interior can be equally off-putting for new visitors, who often critique the layout of corridors, rooms, and stairwells as segmented and counter-intuitive."

However, Humanities has its supporters such as UW alumnus Virgil Abloh , the fashion designer and artistic director of Louis Vuitton's men's wear collection. Perhaps Sam, as a future alumnus, will have a voice in resolving the controversy.

Another future alumnus is Joe. Here's Joe returning from dumping a pile of weeds. Joe is beginning his senior year and double majoring in Environmental Studies and Economics.

Joe is from Wauwatosa, WI, a suburb of Milwaukee. Joe joined Badger Volunteers because he enjoys being a part of a cause that is greater than himself. Your generous spirit and hard work is greatly appreciated.

Here's Ethan with Justine. Ethan, his international name, is from China. His majors are mathematics and economics. 

Ethan now has two courses and an internship as a Data Analyst for the Wisconsin Educational Research Center. He joined the Badger Volunteers to get a break from a lot of time sitting and looking at the laptop screen. Being a Badger Volunteer also satisfies his desire to help preserve nature. Thank you, Ethan.

Connie, her international name, is also from China. She was born in a small village, and reflecting trends in China, moved with her family to a city. When living in the village she   gardened with her Grandmother.

Connie is biochemistry major with a computer science minor. Connie joined UW Badger Volunteers because she wants to be more engaged in the community and specifically in environmental protection efforts. She is pleased to be with the Wisconsin  Environmental Initiative (WEI). I am equally pleased and grateful that Connie spent the afternoon tending the Prospect Gardens.   

Ethan and Connie in action. The two made a great team. They worked diligently while seeming to enjoy themselves. Thank you.

Here's Sameer removing Jewel Weed. His hometown is Kenosha. His major is electrical engineering with an emphasis on embedded systems. According to my Google search, embedded systems is a new discipline that intersects  Computer Science and Electrical Engineering. Embedded systems dominate every aspect of human life. Applications are used in automobiles, TVs, cell phones, tablets, house appliances, house automation, and many other domains. In other words, all the electronic gadgets in our lives involve embedded systems.

Sameer joined Badger Volunteers because he felt it was good opportunity to meet new people and help the community at the same time. Thanks for helping our community and especially Prospect Gardens.


Gardening with the UW Badger Volunteers, Sam and Justine, to borrow from Newcomer's poem, is another example of the "Extraordinary, ordinary stuff of my life." I look forward to this crew's return.

The efforts of volunteers over the ten years since the Gardens began means that colorful areas such as this one greet passersby.The Poppy Mellows are in full bloom and dominate the area.

The Poppy Mellows are well established and like magic return each year. Yet they and all sections of the Gardens must be maintained which means that the need for volunteers is constant. The next neighborhood work session will be July 20th, 9 to noon. If you are in Madison, please join me. Many other plants will be in boom and perhaps the raspberries will be ready to pick.