Spring brought abundant blossoms, greening of the prairie, songs of migratory birds, and many volunteer groups active on the land. In just thirteen weeks, nine different organizations carried out service projects, with 136 people contributing 300 hours to prairie and savanna restoration and to care of Longenecker Horticultural Gardens and the Wisconsin Native Plant Garden. Who were they, what did they do, and what did they experience?

Madison College biology instructor Armila Aeilts incorporated service projects in Longenecker and the Wisconsin Native Plant gardens into lab sections of her environmental science course. She shared, “Perhaps my favorite part about the experience was taking first-timers there! For some students – even some life-long Madison residents! – this was their first visit to the Arboretum. It is a gem of Madison and in the conservation world, so it was a great joy to introduce students and see their amazement that we have such a place right in our backyard. Another great part of the experience was giving students a service-learning opportunity, a chance for them to see that increasing environmental and conservation knowledge can happen while serving the community: a win-win!”

The Madison College students made winning contributions. Three lab sections volunteered with David Stevens, curator of Longenecker Horticultural Gardens, where they spread mulch, pulled weeds, hauled pruned limbs, took down seasonal fences, and learned about woody plant diversity. A fourth lab section worked with Susan Carpenter, Wisconsin Native Plant Garden curator. They cut back dead vegetation, edged garden beds, and learned about native pollinators.

Late spring saw the return of Wisconsin FFA – a group with a long-standing connection to the Arboretum. Each year during their state convention, FFA members go out into the greater Madison community to tackle a range of service projects. Nearly every year since 2016, FFA members have volunteered in Longenecker Horticultural Gardens. In exchange for their hard work spreading mulch and pulling weeds, these high school students get a mini tour of the collection, learning about a small sampling of what it contains.

Wisconsin FFA isn’t the only organization with a tradition of Arboretum service projects. This spring we welcomed groups from Epic (their first project was in 2005), Temple Beth El (first project in 2003), and Google (first project in 2012). And this summer we welcomed Exact Sciences (first project in 2018) and the Clean Lakes Alliance (first project in 2014).

Caitlin McAleavey of the Clean Lakes Alliance shared, “Our near-weekly Volunteer Day program brings volunteers out for lake-benefitting work across our watershed, including a project at the UW Arboretum every year. We always enjoy our time with the UW Arboretum staff, particularly David Stevens, because he is a wealth of knowledge and shares the social history of the plants we encounter, both native and invasive. This added storytelling makes the volunteer work that much more fulfilling and informative, and it inspires greater stewardship for our volunteers. We appreciate the Arboretum staff for leading these projects and for helping us make our lakes healthier!”

Happily, there is enough to be done at the Arboretum that we can and do readily welcome new organizations to volunteer. This spring brought a group of UW–Madison medical students from the Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association (APAMSA) for their first Arboretum service project in the Wingra Oak Savanna.

Medical students and co-organizers Steven Xiong and Joey Yang shared, “It was a pleasure partnering with the Arboretum for our APAMSA service project this past spring. For many of our members, volunteering in such a beautiful space was a refreshing break from the intensity of medical school. It gave us a chance to connect with each other outside the classroom while contributing to our community’s ecosystems. As future physicians, we’re deeply committed to caring for people but we also recognize that health extends beyond the clinic. Volunteering in a nature preserve like the Arboretum reminded us that a healthy environment is foundational to a healthy community. After spending some time clearing invasive species, it was very rewarding to see our APAMSA members make a visible impact within our community. Overall, the experience reinforced for many of us the value of community engagement and taking care of the spaces that care for us. We’d love to return in the future!” We would be happy to have you back!

Micah Kloppenburg, restoration outreach coordinator, echoed and expanded on some of the sentiments expressed by Steven Xiong and Joey Yang:

“Volunteer service groups contribute an enormous amount of work to restoring and sustaining the quality native habitats at the Arboretum. While it may sound obvious, it’s delightfully impressive to see many pairs of hands make quick work of clearing weedy plants from acres of Arboretum woods and prairies. For example, fourteen UW–Madison students and staff in professor Judith Simcox’s biochemistry lab helped clear dame’s rocket from more than one acre of savanna in early June. Each volunteer restoration work party truly is a ‘party.’ The novelty and physicality of the work creates a pleasant retreat from workday or school routines. This literal and metaphorical distance creates room for organic conversations, humor, and connection among the participating volunteers. My favorite part of working with volunteer service groups is the unique opportunity to enjoy the camaraderie of many different people who I perhaps never would have met, learned from, or worked with. Each one offers a snapshot of a shared experience. I sometimes wonder who is learning more from a volunteer work party experience – is it me, or the volunteers?”

If you are part of an organization looking to make a visible impact, break out of a routine, and foster camaraderie among members, consider a service project at the Arboretum this fall. Contact volunteer program manager Judy Kingsbury to learn more and make arrangements.

– Judy Kingsbury, volunteer program manager