Chippewa Falls, WI – Wisconsin Women in Conservation (WiWiC), an award-winning national leader in women-focused conservation education, will be hosting a first-of-its-kind gathering of women landowners in southern Wisconsin this Fall. The event will be a day-long intensive to celebrate the stories of women caring for Wisconsin’s landscape and to explore resources to implement more conservation practices.
The Wisconsin Women in Conservation “Southern Fall Regional Summit: Cultivating Resilience Through Stewarding Our Soil” will take place on Friday, September 15, at Green Haven Gardens in Brooklyn, from 9:30am to 3:00pm. The event will showcase a range of resources to support women landowners. Topics also include research learnings from three years of WiWiC programming, tips for creating welcoming spaces for women and discussion about increasing diversity and inclusion in conservation outreach.
“This WiWiC Regional Summit uniquely brings together women in southern Wisconsin who share a passion for stewarding land in community with other women,” says Dr. Esther Durairaj, WiWiC Program Director, who is a research agronomist at the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute. “We are honored to have Bonnie McKieran come and share her indigenous perspective on our connection as women to the land and each other.”
Programming includes McKiernan, a member of the Menominee Nation Tribe of Wisconsin, leading attendees through a hands-on tea making session. McKiernan’s “All Seasons Tea” honors the change of season and is made with peppermint, mullein & bergamot. Host Heather Lynch will give a tour of Green Haven Gardens, a diversified garden and growing homestead she runs with her husband, Dylan Lynch. Tonya Gratz, Soil Conservationist for the Green County Land and Water Conservation Department, will facilitate a rainfall simulator demonstration. Attendees can see in real time the differences in how soil health and water holding capacity are impacted by different agricultural production practices.
“I teach and host interactive workshops both at the College of the Menominee Nation and in the community on a phenology trail, which is my outdoor classroom!” says McKiernan, who has been a practitioner of Native American and Complementary and Alternative Medicine for over 30 years, learning traditional healing practices from tribal elders. Phenology is the study of cyclic and seasonal natural phenomena. “It is important to be responsible to my community and planet.”
This gathering also brings together women who have participated in WiWiC’s Land Conservation Plan process, developed in partnership with conservation professionals like Gratz. The Conservation Plans, which are free and include a land walk with a professional, help landowners better understand and care for their land for the long term. The event is co-hosted by the Green County Land and Water Conservation Department and Soil Sisters, a project of Renewing the Countryside that connects rural women who are committed to sustainability in local food and agriculture.
“A wise woman recently told me we don’t know what we don’t know- how very true of things we’ve never experienced before or had to personally deal with,” says Gratz, who has completed over 20 Conservation Plans with WiWiC participants. “I strive to educate those I encounter on the importance of taking care of our resources.”
“I’m excited to share on the tour all I learned in going through the WiWiC Land Conservation Plan process. Doing a land walk with Tonya Gratz gave me a more detailed, long-term perspective on how we can steward our land,” says Heather Lynch. “I gain so much from these opportunities when women gather in learning circles and can share questions and ideas with each other. We are our own best, untapped resource and I’m looking forward to sharing my journey here at Green Haven Gardens.”
All Wisconsin women with an interest in conservation are welcome to attend. Space is limited and the whole day, including a Mediterranean-inspired lunch by Banzo in Madison, is $15. Scholarships are also available. An optional opportunity for attendees is to bring their favorite pie, cake, cookies or other sweet treats for a dessert potluck. Additionally, all attendees receive a free copy of the Farmstead Chef cookbook, co-authored by WiWiC Team member, Lisa Kivirist, and her husband, John Ivanko, as well as the Renewing the Countryside Wisconsin book showcasing positive stories of rural revitalization. Register at www.WiWiC.org under Events.
WiWiC is a state-wide collaborative effort led by the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute in partnership with Wisconsin Farmers Union, Renewing the Countryside and Marbleseed (formerly MOSES). A five-year multi-faceted project funded by the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), WiWiC brings together Wisconsin women landowners for field days and other events to network and learn about conservation practices, resources, and funding opportunities. WiWiC also provides mentorship to women landowners and farmers who want to increase conservation practices on their properties – and FREE professionally-prepared Conservation Plans. Interested parties can subscribe to “The Buzz” monthly newsletter and the “Queen Bee Sessions” podcast on the website as well.
