Karen Oberhauser, UW–Madison Arboretum director (Photo by Bryce Richter / UW–Madison)
My daily walk to work takes me through pines planted by Aldo Leopold and the first restored prairie in the world—which was established out of the early vision and experiments of Aldo Leopold, John Curtis, and other Arboretum scientists. This walk, symbolic of the Arboretum’s legacy, prompts me to reflect on our roles as stewards of this land. It also shapes my thoughts about land stewardship in general and my appreciation for the Arboretum as just one of thousands of protected land parcels cared for by tens of thousands of dedicated and knowledgeable individuals throughout the world.
I recently read an article titled “Why Natural Areas?” by Doug Ladd, Missouri director of conservation for The Nature Conservancy, that was published in the Missouri Natural Areas Newsletter. Among his many great ideas, Ladd emphasizes that we have an ongoing stewardship responsibility. He says, “There is no endgame in conservation, but rather an enduring, interactive, carefully configured interventionist relationship necessary to sustain natural systems.” His point is that natural systems, especially those surrounded by human-dominated landscapes, rely on us for survival. And because the survival of natural systems depends on our efforts, it behooves us to foster action and a cultural ethos that promote their conservation.
Our work at the Arboretum involves three key pillars of land stewardship: science-based management and restoration, ongoing research to inform present and current restoration management, and community engagement and education.
This edition of Arboretum News highlights the middle pillar—Arboretum research. Invasive species pose particularly pernicious threats to ecosystems, and ongoing research is documenting the spread of a relatively recent invader—the Asian jumping worm—on Arboretum land, in Madison backyards and other greenspaces, and throughout Wisconsin. Arboretum staff, other UW researchers, state agencies, and dozens of citizen scientists have been involved with documenting this invasion. We are using what we learn about the worms to inform ongoing research on their impacts and possible ways to control them. You can read more about this research in the article by Brad Herrick.
The study of invasive species is just one of many research areas at the Arboretum. Other topics range from fire management, to rare and endangered species, to stormwater runoff, to ecological impacts of climate change, to fundamental biodiversity surveys. If you’d like to hear about a sampling of these projects, join us for Science Day: An Annual Research Symposium, when UW students and scientists will present their projects. Science Day is held on February 15, 9–11:30. It is free and no registration is required.
The lack of an endgame might seem daunting. Protecting ecosystems against invasive species, habitat loss, climate change, and environmental pollutants requires constant vigilance. But all of us, working together right now, are part of a long line of stewards, going back to those whose vision and hard work established this place, and ahead to the next generation whom we are helping to train. We don’t need to solve every problem; rather, our job is to build on the work of those who came before us, learn as much as we can, restore the land as best we can, then pass our knowledge and our legacy on to the next generation who will bring their own passion and new conservation tools.
—Karen Oberhauser, Arboretum director
