We honor the memory of Gaylord Nelson, former Senator and Governor of Wisconsin, and founder of Earth Day. 1916 - 2005

''The wealth of the nation is in the air, water, soil, forest, scenic beauty, wildlife habitat -- take that away and all that's left is a wasteland.''
"The ultimate test of man's conscience may be his willingness to sacrifice something today for future generations, whose words of thanks will not be heard."

The farm prairie as it looked on the mornings of June 30 and July 1, 2005.

Click on the following photos for full size images. All photos of the prairie and farm: Eileen Dawson and David Spitzer.

Bird banding. Photos courtesy of David Ropa, Spring Harbor Middle School, Madison

Baseline Study of a Prairie Restoration Site

Students at Spring Harbor Middle School are conducting a baseline research study on the 75-acre Friends' Farm. The baseline study will include data collected on the hydrology, vegetation, biology, topography, weather and soil found on the site.

Funding for this grant was provided by the Foundation for Madison Public Schools - Providing Venture Capitol to Kids

Bobolink Dolichonyx oryzivourus

"Who Benefits From the Preservation of This Grassland?"

"Over summer meadows in the northern and eastern states, a tinkling, sputtering, bubbling birdsong often seems to include the phrase bob-o-link. The author and namesake of this sprightly melody is a small songbird, the Bobolink, related to the blackbirds and meadowlarks. The male shows this relationship in summer, when he is mostly black, with patterns of yellow, white, and brown on his back, striking as he flutters over the fields to sing. Far less noticeable is his mate, striped with buff and brown, well camouflaged as she tends to her nest in the tall grass. Bobolinks are long-distance migrants, traveling in great flocks in spring and fall, reaching the pampas of Argentina in winter. On their summer range they will nest in hayfields, but many nests are lost if the hay is harvested before the young birds are able to fly. As natural meadows become scarcer, Bobolinks are disappearing as well." Vanishing Songbirds, photo and text by Eliot Porter