WHAT
WE DO
PROGRAMS & PROJECTS.
Upper Sugar has a variety of programs that make up the bulk of our efforts in the watershed. Some are conservation focused, either through boots-on-the-ground work in our watershed to restore native habitats, monitoring the health of certain aspects of the watershed, or through efforts to defend our watershed from negative human impacts at the government level. Others are outreach events aimed at educating those enjoying our wild spaces about invasive species, ways to make their yard more wildlife friendly, or ways to help keep our water clean for both humans and wildlife. Still others are focused on environmental education in area schools giving the next generation a solid understanding of the importance of the natural world around them.
Check out the details of our major programs below, then if you are interested in contributing to any of them you can either volunteer your time or donate financially to them as you are able. Together we can make the Upper Sugar River watershed a healthier place for everyone!
Water Action Volunteers
This volunteer based program is focused on monitoring water quality in the Upper Sugar River watershed and throughout the state. Our volunteers monthly from May - October head to an assigned location on the river and monitor for five major health indicators. The data is then added to a statewide database where it is archived, readily accessible to the public, and able to be used to see trends in health changes of the river. We have recently used this data to help demonstrate the need for continued water flow from the Madison Metro Sewerage District treatment plant into Badger Mill Creek.
Clean Boats Clean Waters
With the growing concern over the spread of aquatic invasive species to Wisconsin’s inland lakes and rivers, many lake and river organizations have gotten involved in the statewide Clean Boats Clean Waters program. Upper Sugar is part of this program. We assist with the Clean Boats, Clean Waters watercraft inspection program as an opportunity to take a front line defense against the spread of aquatic invasive species.
Through the Clean Boats, Clean Waters program, our inspectors are trained to organize and conduct a boater education programs in their community. Adults and youth teams educate boaters on how and where invasive species are most likely to hitch a ride into waterbodies. Inspectors perform boat and trailer checks for invasive species, distribute informational brochures, and collect and report any new AIS presence in waterbodies. This is a crucial way to educate the public about ways to prevent the spread of invasive species.
PEOPLE Program
This precollege educational program is run through the UW Madison and encourages students to explore a range of career choices. Upper Sugar River staff and board members host 2-3 days of environmental education for the UW's program. The students are introduced to a variety of careers in environmental conservation, careers in environmentally conscious farming, and careers in communications that promote environmental causes. For many of the students this is the first time they have really thought about their relationship to the natural world and it gives them a launching point for further exploration.
Purple Loosestrife Biocontrol
Purple Loosestrife is an invasive ornamental flower that has escaped human landscapes and is now crowing out native species in their wild habitats. After extensive research, Cella Beetles have been found to feed exclusively on purple loosestrife. Our volunteers raise these cella beetles on potted and netted purple loosestrife plants. When the beetles are mature our volunteers release them into areas with heavy purple loosestrife populations to help kill or set back the growth of the purple loosestrife without using chemicals. This opens up the habitat for the native species to reclaim their natural place in it.
Dragonfly Monitoring
Volunteers from Upper Sugar record sightings of different species of dragonfly and damselflies at area ponds and rivers from May through October. Time of year and the location/environment in which they are sighted give us critical insights into the health of the Upper Sugar River watershed and the effects that climate change is having on it. The monitoring data is collected through the WI DNR and is then publicly available for members of the community as well as scientists to use in their research. We are noticing changes in the range of dragonflies, with some disappearing from our area for locations further north and some new comers to our area as they also move north, most likely due to climate change.
Restoration Workdays
Upper Sugar partners with the WI DNR to do restoration work in the Upper Sugar River Wetlands State Natural Area. This SNA makes up a significant portion of our watershed making it critical to the health of the river downstream. Volunteers join Upper Sugar staff and WI DNR staff once a month to do a variety of restoration projects. These may include invasive shrub removal, tree removal from prairie landscapes, herbaceous invasive plant removal, native seed collection, native seed distribution, and controlled burns to promote natural cycles of native plant regeneration. Our volunteers are critical to the success of this program because as the saying goes, many hands make light work.
Badger Mill Creek Conservation
In 2022 the Madison Area Sewerage District (MMSD) was faced with an increasing phosphorus level in their treated discharge from Verona into Badger Mill Creek in the Upper Sugar River Watershed. Their most cost effective solution is to move the treated high phosphorus discharge to Badfish Creek in the Yaharan River Watershed which has lower levels of phosphorus. This solution creates a crisis for Badger Mill Creek and the Upper Sugar River Watershed as water would be removed from our watershed and then no longer returned to it. Upper Sugar has spent the past two years partnering with other environmental organizations and local townships to demonstrate to MMSD and the DNR permitting agency that this solution would cause significant damage to the health of the river and to ground water recharge in our watershed. The process is still ongoing with many hours of presentations, collaboration meetings, and data collection by staff and board members in an effort to get a more environmentally forward solution to the phosphorus issue.
.jpg)
Explorer Backpacks
Our children are the future of environmental conservation, and it is with this in mind that we created our Explorer Backpack Program. Our Explorer Backpacks contain three environmentally focused lesson plans and activities geared for K-5 learners. These lesson plans are set up for any adult to be able to take their young friend outside and teach them about the natural world around them. Themes are topics such as recycling, habitats, plant identification, and more. You do not need a teaching background or any specialized scientific background to teach these lessons. The lesson plans are also available in Spanish for ESL students. These backpacks have been placed at the Mt Horeb Primary School and at the Mt Horeb Public Library where anyone may check one out.
Education and Outreach
In addition to the many projects we have going on we also host many educational talks and hikes. These are often held at area Public Libraries or at one of the many state, county, and city parks in our watershed. Topics for these talks and hikes vary widely depending on the need. We regularly speak about water quality, invasive species, native species, and native habitats or landscapes.
We often get requests from other non-profit organizations, area towns, local libraries, and businesses to speak about specific subjects. We are always happy to give these presentations whenever we are able to. Our goal is to reach as many community members in our watershed and beyond to share information on how to keep our environment healthy for both us as humans and the wildlife, plants and water within it.
