The document summarizes the restoration of the Vail Farm property known as Wings over Wisconsin. It describes how the land has changed from only having 10 acres cultivated in 1937 to having all but the fen cultivated by 1995. It then discusses current restoration efforts to manage the fen and create wildlife habitats, including building wood duck houses, seeding a sedge meadow and scrapes, and planting 8,000 sedge seedlings in the spring of 2013 with help from volunteers. The restoration aims to create a place for wildlife and future generations.

1. Wings over Wisconsin
Restoration of the Vail Farm

2. 1937 First
Photo
Only 10 Acres under Cultivation

3. 1955
About 1/2 under cultivation

4. 1968
All but Fen under Cultivation

5. 1995
Last year
Farmed
They tried to farm the Fen, but too
wet

6. Wings (Vail) Today

7. Original Plan was to keep water in/on

8. Open water
excellent Duck breeding sites

9. Ponds east of Berlin Road

10. Youth Hunts
Organized by Tom’s Guns of Marshall

11. Youth Hunter & Mentor

12. Youth and Mentors
If we do it right this will be a
wild place for their grand
Children

14. Youth Turkey Hunts- about 40-50 for spring of 2013
Contact Tom or Julie Bergholz to Mentor

15. Youth and Mentors

16. Mentors and
Youth
Duck Hunt
What better way to
pass our love of the
outdoors ,
conservation and wild
places to the next
generation.
Contact Tom or Julie
Bergholz at Tom’s
Guns of Marshall to
become a mentor.
Call 608 655-3772

17. Tom Bergholz has built and emplaced
Over 50 wood duck house on the
Wings Property
Each winter the old nests must be
removed and new nesting material
placed within.

18. Some of the houses need repair and
reinstallation.
You can help with duck house
construction, maintained and cleaning
Call Tom Bergholz to help

19. Below the Fen-RCG / Rag weed/ Nettles
No more then 40 species- 14 foot nettles have to be mowed two times per
year

21. Red Admirals
They did a Job on the Nettles Summer of 2010

24. Good place to snowshoe

25. Otter

26. Our Fen is one of the few undisturbed Fens In Wisconsin
This Fen has never been Farmed
About 122 Species of Plants live here

27. Tom Bergholz on the Fen

28. Tara Davenport UW-PHD
Candidate
Gathering Fen data

29. Dave Bart, PHD
Fen Data collection

30. David and Tara
Data collecting on a Fen

31. August on the Fen

32. The fen is threatened by an
Aspen Colony from the
North
Aspen on the fen were
girdled Spring of 2012.
This spring they will be
dead.
WOW member help will be
needed to remove scrubs and
dead aspen.

34. Restoration Project
• September 2012 with a USDA/NRCS Grant we created 5
wildlife scrapes(ponds) and one 6.5 AC Sedge Meadow.
• December after first snow we seeded with 3 different
seed mixes.
• Winter 2013 UW will grow out 8,000 sedge plants.
• Weather permitting we plant the 8,000 sedge seedlings

35. Randy Dunnehisen
Construction Boss/owner

37. Caroline Clarian
NRCS Engineer in Charge

38. Lots of Earth to Move

39. 21,710 Cubic Yards
39

40. From 12.2 Acres

41. To Build
5 Wildlife
Scrapes (Ponds)
One 6.5 AC
Sedge Meadow

44. Ponds starting to Fill

45. Seeding with first
snow
Caroline Clarian
NRCS Engineer

46. Burt checking seed

47. Seeded and the Ponds are filling in December
2012
Steve Antholt

48. Why plant Sedge Seedlings?
• Not all of the Tussock
Sedge seed (from seed
mix) will establish
• Tussock Sedge is a
good competitor
against reed-canary
grass
• Tussocks formed will
allow other plants from
the seed mix to flourish

49. Sedge seeds
germinating at UW
Greenhouse
Because the Sedge is fickled
to grow from seed:
•UW Madison has planted
in 3” pots 8,000 seedlings.
•The 8,000 seedlings should
be ready for planting in
May.
•The seedlings will have a
better chance of
outcompeting the Reed
Canary Grass

50. S e d g e P la n t in g S p r in g 2 0 1 3 !
8,000 seedlings
sed ge! Pond!
sed ge!
Fen! sed ge!
sed ge!
Pond! Pond!
8 ,0 0 0 S e d g e P la n t s t o P la n t ! S p o il!
S p o il!

51. Now
Last fall Will be with your help!
Please Sign Up to Help
with Spring Planting

52. You Can Help Plant - Spring
2013
Target planting weekend
dates:
• May 5-6
• May 11-12
• Weekend of May 18-19 will
be used in case of weather
delays
Need 10 teams of 2 or about
20 persons per day
•Plant 2,000 seedlings per work
day
•Boy Scouts are interested
•Wings members will be needed
on work days
Leaders on site at 8 AM-