Ice Age Trail Alliance Receives Hartzog Volunteer Group Award

Posted on June 17, 2021

By Dan Watson, Volunteer Coordinator, National Park Service – Ice Age National Scenic Trail

Ice Age Trail Alliance Headquarters in the Village of Cross Plains. Photo by Joanne Ellarson.

The Ice Age Trail Alliance won the National Park Service George and Helen Hartzog award for the Midwest Region – Volunteer Group Award out of 21 outstanding nominations submitted in recognition of 2020 efforts.

Continue reading →

Highlighting the Glacial Beauty of the Blue Hills Region

Posted on May 13, 2021

Glacial Deposits along the Blue Hill trail. Photo by Dave Caliebe.

A volunteer surveys the land at Blue Hills trail. Photo by Dave Caliebe.

Resilience of nature on the Blue Hills trail. Photo by Dave Caliebe.

Hiking along glacial rock formations on Blue Hills trail. Photo by Dave Caliebe.

Yellow flower on the Blue Hills Trail. Photo by Dave Caliebe.

Winding stream on Blue Hills Trail. Photo by Dave Caliebe.

Moss-covered rocks in a stream on the Blue Hills Trail. Photo by Dave Caliebe.

Glacial water formation on Blue Hills Trail. Photo by Dave Caliebe.

Prepping to mark trees by a stream on the Blue Hills Trail. Photo by Dave Caliebe.

Water spills over from one pond to the next on the Blue Hills Trail. Photo by Dave Caliebe.

Envisioning the path of future trail on Blue Hills Trail. Photo by Dave Caliebe.

Images worth a thousand words: Glacial rock and water formations are scattered throughout this beautiful landscape in Rusk County. Volunteers took in the sights while walking the land and planning how to best route future trail to highlight and preserve these features. Photos by Dave Caliebe.

Over four days, 19 individuals methodically explored more than six square miles of remote Rusk County. Building on the trail layout event last October, we continued to narrow down the locations for future Ice Age National Scenic Trail. Our group sought ways to connect significant geological features of the area and avoid wetlands and logging interaction where ever possible.

Continue reading →

Ready! Set! Plant!

Posted on May 11, 2021

An image of volunteers getting ready to plant trees. They line up before the area where the trees will be planted, holding red flags that will be used to mark newly planted trees. Pine trees tower above them in the background, before partially cloudy skies. — Volunteers line up, ready to plant trees that will eventually transform the old pine plantation at the Brownrigg-Heier Preserve into a sustainable hardwood forest. Photo by Amy Lord.

2021 is a year of new beginnings, new growth, and reconnecting. Our reforestation effort in Manitowoc County upholds this sense of hope for the year and beyond.

Beginning on Friday, April 30 – National Arbor Day – 60 volunteers came together to plant 5,500 young trees on the Ice Age Trail Alliance-owned Brownrigg-Heier Preserve. Volunteers (some coming from three hours away) donated 730 hours to help improve the earth in an effort extending beyond their lifetimes.

Continue reading →